Mills Quarterly, Winter 2014

m e e t t h e p r o v o s t  a l u m n a e a w a r d w i n n e r s & m o r e f r o m r e u n i o n

Mills Quarterly Winter 2014

“Funny, you don’t look like a computer engineer...”

When I was a student at Mills, inspiring professors like Roussel Sargent armed me with the tools I needed to be successful in law school and my professional career. Today I give to ensure that a Mills education is available for future generations of Mills women—just as it was for you and me.

Elizabeth Kelley ’86 Criminal defense lawyer

behind every gift there is a story

Each gift to the College has a story—about a life-path discovered at Mills and followed into the world, about lifelong friendships and inspiring mentors, about a voice found or strengthened. These are the stories you make possible for future generations when you give to Mills. Each gift really does count: college assessors, including U.S. News & World

Report, consider graduates’ giving an important measure of a learning community’s excellence. Your gifts to Mills are a vote of confidence in the College’s future.

Give to the Mills College Annual Fund by calling 510.430.2366, picking up the phone when a student calls you, visiting alumnae.mills.edu/give, or returning the enclosed envelope.

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Mills Quarterly

contents Winter 2014 3

Vital signs

A message from President DeCoudreaux on student enrollment and financial stability, with a handy reference guide to Mills College facts and figures.

6

A steward of excellence by Linda Schmidt

Kim Phillips, an accomplished historian and the College’s new provost, is dedicated to making quality education attainable for the next generation so they can assimilate new ideas and navigate the challenging world ahead.

8

Breaking the code by Lisa Harrington

Women are vastly underrepresented in the high-tech industry, and many never even consider such work to be a viable option. But despite the obstacles, Professor Ellen Spertus and several alumnae show that women’s careers in computer science are attainable, exciting, and rewarding.

Plus: a new professorship brings computer industry professionals into the classroom.

14

A message from the AAMC President

Lucy Do ’75, the new president of the alumnae association, invites alumnae to participate in AAMC leadership and events throughout the year.

15

Reunion 2013 highlights

Reunion is the biggest alumnae event of the year, and for good reason – it brings together old friends and new acquaintances to celebrate the vitality of the College and its people.

• Alumnae award winners shine • Candid moments and class photos

32

The stories we share

Reunion saw the launch of a new project to gather alumnae anecdotes and opinions on a variety of experiences. This selection of responses shows the many paths of Mills alumnae.

Departments 2

Letters to the Editor

5

Mills Matters

21

Class Notes

30

In Memoriam

On the cover: Software engineer Miya McClain ’06 is the antithesis of a nerd—but has made a successful career in the high-tech industry. Along with other alumnae working in the field, she exemplifies how women can thrive in the world of computer science. Photo by Jenn Ireland.

Letters to the Editor I loved the article “Style and substance” in the fall Quarterly. They all look like talented and smart people. The segment that taught me something, though, was “A boutique of one’s own.” I’d never heard of the butch or tomboy trend and am delighted that this is occurring.

And I loved the photo on the cover of Zel Anders’s shop window that said “Be Volume CII Number 2 (USPS 349-900) Winter 2014

Who You Are”—which sounds like a great

ubiquitous “Let’s write about our alums

philosophy no matter what you are.

in the [fill-in-the-blank] industry” sto-

This is the time to add more catego-

ries are a mainstay of college magazines

President Alecia A. DeCoudreaux

ries, more views, more philosophies, and

and, as a university publications editor

welcome all to a world filled with love

myself, I wish more of them were as well

Senior Director of Advancement Communications and Outreach Dawn Cunningham ’85

and beauty.

executed. Nice work!

Managing Editor Linda Schmidt

—Susan Krzywicki ’74 Bonita, California

—Mary Lane Gallagher ’92 Bellingham, Washington

A tip of my floppy graduation hat to

Loved the fall issue and wanted to let you

Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson

Jessica Langlois, MFA ’10, who wrote a

know. Beautiful design, engaging stories.

lovely story in the last issue about Mills

The magazine is getting better and better!

Contributing Writers Lisa Harrington Valerie Sullivan

women in fashion. Jessica managed to

I very much liked the article on the new

do the nearly impossible: write a cohe-

interdisciplinary minor in religious stud-

sive story about four different women

ies, and the piece on alums in fashion was

that highlights the individuality of each

a delight.

Editorial Assistance Maggie Slover ’14 Russell Schoch The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly by Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California, and at additional mailing office(s). Postmaster: Send address changes to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613.

Copyright © 2013, Mills College

while at the same time weaving information about the others throughout. The

Have an opinion or comment? Send it to Mills Quarterly, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613 or quarterly@mills.edu. Letters may be edited for clarity or length.

At Mills, for Alumnae

Address correspondence to the Mills Quarterly, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity or length.

Alumnae Relations alumnae.mills.edu 510.430.2123, alumnae-relations@mills.edu

Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312

Alumnae Admission Representatives Vala Burnett, Assistant Director of Admissions 510.430.2269, vburnett@mills.edu

Printed on recycled paper containing 10 percent post-consumer waste.

Career Services 510.430.2130, career@mills.edu Giving to Mills alumnae.mills.edu/giving 510.430.2366, mcaf@mills.edu

(Please use outline)

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M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

—Leanna James Blackwell, MFA ’95 Easthampton, Massachusetts

Library Services 510.430.2377, library@mills.edu

M Center/Transcripts 510.430.2000, mcenter@mills.edu Pool and Gym Trefethen Aquatic Center 510.430.2170, pool@mills.edu Haas Pavilion Fitness Center 510.430.3376, athletics@mills.edu Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) aamc.mills.edu Lucy Do ’75, President (starting July 1) 510.430.2110, aamc@mills.edu AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613-1301

For more information on these and other alumnae services at Mills, visit alumnae.mills.edu.

Some benefits, such as access to the pool and fitness center, require you to show your AAMC membership card, available from Alumnae Relations and the AAMC.

A Message from the President of Mills College

Vital signs

best practices. And we continue to invest in providing an outstanding academic experience, distinguished by our inclu-

By Alecia A. DeCoudreaux

sive campus community and a faculty

Increasing enrollment and maintaining

facts about Mills today in the Quarterly.

a balanced budget are two overarching

These pages tell a story through num-

goals of Mills College’s current strategic

bers: You see the generosity of our alum-

plan and we have already made great

nae and other donors in the $15.1 million

progress on both: this fall’s student body

they contributed last year. You see the

is the largest in the College’s history, and

diversity and excellence of our students

we ended the 2012-13 fiscal year without

and faculty. You see Mills’ strong reputa-

a deficit for the first time in several years.

tion reflected in our rankings.

dedicated to teaching and learning.

You have asked us to share some basic

These successes show that we are on

Beyond the numbers, however, lies the

be ever

real story of Mills this fall: The excite-

diligent with efforts in these areas. We

ment of 1,608 students on a campus that

have added new strategies for recruit-

values collaborative learning. Professors

ing students, such as the Summer Send-

who have been re-energized by conver-

College. We have a large and important

off events during which alumnae meet

sations about the best ways to teach,

task at hand, and I am grateful for the

with newly admitted students. We have

or about creating new interdisciplin-

support and engagement of alumnae

streamlined operating costs and reduced

ary courses. These, for me, are the most

and other members of the Mills commu-

the amount we draw from our endow-

meaningful signs of progress as we seek

nity, which will ensure a long-lasting,

ment each year, in keeping with financial

to ensure a vibrant, robust future for the

positive outcome.

the right track, but we must

Sources of revenue* for Mills in 2012-13 ($91.9 million) Tuition & fees Housing, food, & conferences Endowment payout Gifts & grants Other

56% 12% 12% 17%

3%

*Gifts to the endowment are not counted in this total since they are invested rather than spent on operations.

Sources of gifts to Mills in 2012-13 ($15.1 million) Alumnae 25% Estates 32% Foundations & Corporations 26% Trustees 12% Parents, friends, others 5%

WINTER 2014

3

Fall 2013 Total Enrollment 1,608 Undergraduates 997

Graduate students

611

194

Entering 300

Transfer 113

Continuing 309

Nursing 27

Auditing 2

Continuing 640

Women 79%

Visiting 23

Men 21%

Full-time 92%

Full-time 82%

Living on campus

Living on campus

12%

Resumers 16%

Students of color

40%

Students of color

50%

California residents

79%

California residents

81%

International 3%

First-year

58%

International 1%

Cost of attendance Graduate

Undergraduate Full-time tuition*

$40,210

Full-time tuition*

$29,860

Room and board

$12,625

Room and board

$12,491

X

*Additional student fees and graduate program charges may apply. For details, see www.mills.edu.

Financial Aid Graduate

Undergraduate Percent receiving financial aid Average award

95%

Percent receiving financial aid

90%

$37,959

Rankings

Faculty

Ranked fifth among colleges and universities in the West by US News & World

Total number

107

104

Report. Named one of the Best 378 Colleges and one of the top 322 Green Colleges

Female faculty

71%

68%

by The Princeton Review. Ranked among the top colleges and universities in the

Faculty of color

31%

23%

West by US News & World Report in “Great Schools, Great Prices” for high academic

Terminal degree 92%

68%

quality relative to net cost of attendance. Ranked among the top 10 master’s universities in the nation by Washington Monthly.

full time

part time

Class statistics Student: faculty ratio Average class size Classes ≤ 20 students

10:1 16 75%

Majors Top undergraduate majors English Nursing Psychology Biology Political, Legal, and Economic Analysis Top graduate programs Education MBA English Pre-Med Music

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M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Mills Matters Campus kudos A selection of recent achievements by faculty, staff, and students Sandra Greer, professor of chemistry and

chapter to the updated

former provost, received the American

International Relations

Chemical Society Award for Encouraging

of the Middle East

Women into Careers in the Chemical

(Oxford University

Sciences. This award is sponsored by the

Press), outlining a

Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.

theoretical and historical

Sandra Greer

Fred Lawson

Elmaz Abinader

overview of the topic, and contributed

Contemporary Middle East (Lynne

published a new book, Global Security

chapters on Iraq and Syria in a new

Rienner).

Watch Syria (Praeger). He also provided a

edition of Politics and Society in the

Professor of Government Fred Lawson

Professor of Biology Lisa Urry is the lead author of Campbell Biology in Focus, a new textbook for college

Calendar Dance

biology majors. She also is the sole contributing author of Chapters 1–21 in the 10th edition of Campbell

February 7  Ebb & Flow The third annual Ebb & Flow concert features the rich and diverse artistry of Mills dance alumnae/i.

8:00 pm, Lisser Hall, followed by a reception at Reinhardt Alumnae House. $10 general, free to Mills students and alumnae. For information, contact millsdancealum@gmail.com.

Biology, released in November.

Mills Music Now

tual, and theoretical advances,” in the

January 25  Mills Performing Group II: Joan Jeanrenaud, cello, and William Winant, percussion February 8  Simone Dinnerstein, Dewing Piano Recital February 16  Early Music, Franz Joseph Haydn (4:00 pm) March 6–9  Signal Flow Festival (various times and locations) March 15  Eclipse Quartet March 22  George Lewis, Vaux Composer in Residence April 4–5  X Sound Festival All events start at 8:00 pm (unless otherwise noted) in the Littlefield Concert Hall. $15 general, $10 senior and non-Mills students, free to alumnae. See musicnow.mils.edu or contact Steed Cowart at 510.430.2334 or steed@mills.edu.

Songlines Series January 27  Jack and Ben Wright: Improvisational works on saxophone and double-bass February 3  Bonnie Jones and Andrea Neumann: Electronic static, sputter, and crackle April 7  Shackle: Flute, electronics, and laptop-instrument All events start at 7:30 pm in the Ensemble Room. Admission is free. For information see musicnow.mills.edu or contact John Bischoff at 510.430.2332 or jbischoff@mills.edu.

Contemporary Writers Series February 8–9  Cruel Work: A Symposium on Feminism and Work (time and location TBA) February 18  Mike Davis (time TBA) March 4  Rachel Blau duPlessis April 8  Kelsey St. Press 40th Anniversary Readings, Talks, and Celebration (Heller Rare Book Room, Olin Library) All events are at 5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room (unless otherwise noted), free.

For information, contact Stephanie Young at 510.430.3130 or syoung@mills.edu.

Center for Socially Responsible Business March 14  Achieving Social Impact: To Scale or Not To Scale?

Featuring Nikki Henderson, co-founder and executive director of People’s Grocery.

For further details, see csrbmills.org or contact 510.430.3248 or csrb@mills.edu.

Jenn Smith, professor of biology, co-authored “The dynamics of animal social networks: analytical, concepjournal Behavioral Ecology. Her work on the social behavior of yellowbellied marmots was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences and Animal Behavior.

Elmaz Abinader, professor of English, spent three weeks as Writer in Residence at Grand Canyon National Park. The residency offers artists the opportunity to communicate complex and contemporary issues and engage in public outreach programs. She also received a 2013 fellowship to spend a month at the Can Serrat International Art Center, located near Barcelona, Spain.

“Bill Robinson and Shirley Temple Tap Past Jim Crow,” an article by Professor of Dance Ann Murphy, will appear in the Oxford Handbook on Screendance, to be published in June 2014. This handbook is the first compendium of screendance analysis.

Mills College Art Museum

Murphy also edited and contributed

January 22-March 16  The Shape of A Pocket The works of moving image artist Anne Colvin and mid-20th-century Scottish filmmaker and poet Margaret Tait unfold in a chorus of image and sound.

Opening Reception: January 22, 6:00–8:00 pm.

to the forthcoming Rhythm Field: The Dance of Molissa Fenley, a

For more information, see mcam.mills.edu or contact 510.430.2164 or museum@mills.edu.

preface by Philip Glass.

collection of essays on the choreographer Molissa Fenley, with a

WINTER 2014

5

student approached

Kim Phillips in the

corridor of Mills Hall one afternoon in October. “Would I be able to do a short interview with you?” the student asked. “I have an assignment to talk with a woman that I admire in a position of leadership.”

Phillips smiled at the request, but hesitated briefly. “You know I’m not the president, right?” While it’s true that her resemblance

to

Alecia

DeCoudreaux

makes a case of mistaken identity entirely possible, Phillips was indeed the student’s intended subject. Selected as provost after an extensive national search, Kim Phillips is in a position to lead the College and to have a profound influence on its academic reputation.

 As

a scholar,

Phillips has an impressive

reputation of her own. Trained as a historian at UC San Diego, with minors in literature and anthropology, she completed both an MPhil and PhD in American Studies at Yale. She has held faculty positions at Case Western Reserve, the College of William and Mary, and the City University of New York—Brooklyn College, where she was also founding

A steward of excellence The new provost champions students and faculty alike to ensure a strong future for the College

By Linda Schmidt  Photo by Dana Davis

dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

She serves as a distinguished lecturer with the Organization of American Historians, has received numerous fellowships for teaching and research, and was awarded the Philip Taft Labor History Book Award for her 2012 book, War! What Is It Good For? The book examines the role of blacks in the armed forces from World War II to the present day as well as how their war experiences influenced the Black Freedom Movement and American culture.

“Phillips’s

groundbreaking

work. ..

not only adds to, but in several ways changes, the conversation about African Americans in postwar America,” the award committee noted. “Phillips’s chap-

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M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

ters on black soldiers during the Cold

fifth term on a school board in eastern

what I see again at Mills is an atmosphere

War, particularly in the Korean War, will

Virginia; I’ve seen how education has a

that allows women to think and do and

forever change our understandings of

profound effect, not just for individuals,

express themselves with a level of confi-

this period.”

but for entire families and communities

dence that I did not even imagine acquir-

as a whole.”

ing until I was much older.”

Her interest in history was spurred by her own observations of the world

A conversation with other women at a

around her and curiosity about the peo-

meeting of the Organization of American

about arriving at Mills when the College

ple who inhabit it. Her father was an offi-

Historians helped push Phillips from the

is embarking on an active appraisal of its

cer in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and

ranks of faculty into administration. “We

overall curriculum. “Curriculum review

the family moved frequently following

agreed that we have fought for changes

is an important way of tending to our

Phillips

is

particularly

enthusiastic

his assignments across the United States

resources,” she says. “I think of our cur-

and Europe.

riculum as a wonderful set of instru-

“We lived in Berlin when I was in high school,” she says. “While we were there, I saw people struggling with the rule of the Soviet Union; I watched my father and troops re-enact the landing at Normandy; and my parents took me to see the concentration camps. But none of that urgency, none of that vitality, was in the textbooks.”

It wasn’t until she wrote a college paper about a World War II–era legal

ments. Whether you’re in an orchestra,

“I’ve seen how education has a profound effect, not just for individuals, but for entire families and communities as a whole.”

an ensemble, or a quintet, the instruments have to be taken care of in order to play your very best. You have to stop, change the strings, tune up.”

The review process, she adds, encourages

faculty

to

capitalize

on

their

strengths and integrate new methods and theories into existing programs. It also offers the opportunity to re-assess how the environment at Mills, both

case involving Jehovah’s Witnesses who

inside and outside the classroom, fulfills

refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance

students’ needs.

that she became fascinated with the study

Recent adjustments to the College’s

of history—and particularly the ways that

that we wanted in the institution—for

academic

“truth” is determined both by objective

gender equality, for racial equality, for

reinstatement of summer courses and

facts and by cultural interpretations.

access,” she says. “Now we have to be

January term, have already begun to offer

stewards of these institutions.

interesting

This interdisciplinary approach has been

framework,

prospects.

including

“These

the

options

a hallmark of her intellectual method and

“I see it as my mission to do what I

allow students to take advantage of con-

she has expanded her areas of inquiry to

can to make sure that this generation of

centrated time to do some writing, travel-

include women’s studies, American stud-

students gets the best access to quality,

ing, interviewing, or other field work that

ies, and African American studies. “I find

affordable education,” she says. “Another

might not be feasible during a regular

those connections and those cross-hatch-

goal is to help faculty do their best in

term,” she says. “I’m a strong advocate

ings of thought very exciting,” Phillips

terms

and

for short-term study abroad. That oppor-

says. “And,” she adds with a smile, “I admit

engagement with the community. Those

tunity can change one’s life. Travel takes

to being nosy. One of the pleasures of

are the factors that make colleges and

you out of your own experience and

being a historian is that you can be nosy

universities thrive.”

allows you to see a larger world—and that

about other people’s lives.”



of

scholarship,

teaching,

world also sees you.”

 A lthough Phillips

has lived

In the end, Phillips says, the true test in many

of education is how well students learn

both went to college

places throughout her childhood and

to assimilate new ideas and navigate

at San Jose State University then earned

career, she says returning to California

between competing ways of understand-

master’s degrees at a time when few

feels like coming home. “It’s been a plea-

ing. “Our students have decades of a

African Americans completed higher

sure to get to know Mills and its peo-

career path ahead of them and they’re

degrees outside of historically black

ple, and I love working with President

going to have many different experi-

universities. That achievement not only

DeCoudreaux.” Settling in at a women’s

ences. Moving across those experiences

instilled high academic expectations, but

college, she adds, is particularly satisfying.

can be frightening if you’re only pre-

also showed her the far-reaching effects

Her first exposure to women’s educa-

pared to think and act in one way,” she

tion came during a two-year stint as a

says. “Mills prepares students to imagine

“The ways in which they engaged with

visiting associate professor at Wellesley.

a better, stronger, more inclusive world,

the communities in which they lived, and

“It was tremendous to see how young

and gives them the skills—both inside

still do, made a huge impression on me.

women thrived in the classroom there,”

and outside the classroom—to make the

My mother, a teacher, just finished her

she says. “What I saw at Wellesley and

changes needed to achieve that goal.” ◆

P hillips ’ s

parents

of education.

WINTER 2014

7

Breaking the code How women can find success in the computer industry—and why they should

By Lisa Harrington llen Spertus is an evan-

try who shared stories of not being recog-

cal jobs earn quite respectable salaries.

gelist for the cause of women

nized or welcomed in the field—and even

“It’s not unusual for a computer science

in technology. A triple-degree

told outright that they “didn’t belong.”

major to earn over $50,000 a year work-

holder from MIT, she has writ-

Their stories transformed Spertus “from a

ing on interesting problems in pleasant

ten extensively on gender and

male-identified misogynist to a feminist”

work environments just after graduating

technology, spoken at numer-

and, as she examined pernicious stereo-

with a bachelor’s degree,” Spertus says.

ous conferences for women

types of women in the hard sciences,

Why, then, has the number of women

in the sciences, and serves as

Spertus realized for the first time how fil-

earning computer science degrees been

a senior research scientist at Google. As

tered her view had been. Her 1991 report

falling for nearly 30 years?

a professor at Mills, she is busy training

based on this research, “Why are there

and mentoring the next generation of

so few female computer scientists?” was

Geek mythology

women computer scientists.

widely distributed in computer science

According

circles and became required reading at

Foundation, women earned 37 percent of

campuses across the country.

undergraduate computer science degrees

It’s a training that she was fortunate to begin at home. As a child, Spertus learned

to

the

National

Science

from her MIT-trained father how to use a

Today, Spertus says, despite an array

in 1984, the year the Apple Macintosh

computer and was tutored by her math-

of good reasons to study computer sci-

was introduced and “personal computing”

prodigy brother. She grew confident in

ence, women still tend to shy away from

became a household term. Since then,

her intellectual talents and attended one

the field, even though, as technology is

while women have made slow but steady

of the first computer camps in the coun-

increasingly integrated into our daily

gains in other science and engineering

try at age 12. When she herself enrolled

lives, all users benefit from having the

fields, their enrollment in computer sci-

at MIT to study computer science, the

best minds involved in developing prod-

ence (CS) has declined significantly. Today,

lack of female classmates was both con-

ucts and services. The US Department

fewer than 12 percent of CS degrees go

spicuous and puzzling.

of Labor predicts more than 1.4 million

to women. From 2004 to 2011, female CS

She decided to investigate and found

new jobs in computing by the end of the

graduates lost ground both in terms of

women throughout academia and indus-

decade and, of course, women in techni-

their percentage and actual number.

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M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

photos by Teresa tam, e xcep t mi ya m c cl ain by jeNn irel and

Early exposure can set a girl on track to a rewarding technical career, but can be hard to come by. “In US high schools, computer science generally doesn’t count as a math or science course, and with the focus on testing, teachers can’t spend a lot of time on material that isn’t on the test,” says Spertus.

“When schools do have computer programming classes—not just word processing—they’re elective,” she adds.

“More boys than girls sign up, the girls see how few they are, some leave, and a vicious cycle develops.”

For girls who stay in CS classes, things don’t necessarily get any easier. Spertus points to numerous studies that have shown how teachers, often unknowingly, show bias against female students. Girls are called on less often than male peers and can be subjected to harassment and ostracism. “Teachers need to be conscious of what’s going on in their classes; they can try to keep an eye on whether people are being heard,” says Spertus, who is currently developing software to make it

Ellen Spertus

easier for children to learn programming in middle school.

McClain agrees that it’s time to redesign elementary, middle school, and high

There aren’t any definitive answers to

scientist at Microsoft. She’s lost count

school curricula in order to reach girls

this problem, but research shows that

of the times she’s been told she doesn’t

earlier. “This has to start at a young age,”

many women never even consider pur-

look like a computer engineer. “What do

she says. “You have to show children that

suing computer science due to lack of

people think one looks like?” she asks. “A

this sort of career is possible for them.

exposure to the field, misunderstandings

geeky guy with huge glasses?”

“There’s a perception among young

of the skills required, and lack of informa-

McClain is typical of women working

women and minorities that a technical

tion about the career options available.

in the high tech industry: smart, driven,

career isn’t a viable choice,” adds McClain.

More subtle discouragement comes from

energetic, and moving up in her com-

“I didn’t think computer science was an

pervasive stereotypes in popular culture

pany. A lead software design engineer, she

option until I met [TAF founder] Trish

that paint computer engineers as boring,

heads a team of engineers that tests part

Millines Dziko, another African-American

awkward, and just plain weird.

of the Microsoft Office suite, trying to find

woman.” Recognizing how her own life’s

bugs before users do and then fix them.

course was altered, McClain often speaks

“People think computer programmers just sit in front of a computer and never

McClain discovered her inner geek as

with minority students about careers in

talk to each other,” says Spertus. On the

a young teen, when her mother enrolled

technology. “I want other young women

contrary, she asserts, “Geeks are intelli-

her

Access

to know that it’s possible to go into a

gent, enthusiastic people full of curiosity

Foundation (TAF). There, she had the

mostly male environment and not only

and passion. If geeks didn’t want to com-

chance to take a computer apart and put

succeed, but excel.”

municate with each other, they wouldn’t

it back together again. She learned pro-

have invented the Internet.”

gramming and began to recognize infi-

Can you hear me now?

nite possibilities to create new products.

McClain learned HTML and JavaScript cod-

McClain was hooked.

ing as well as Visual Basic and ASP.NET,

But such misperceptions often dissuade women from even considering the

at

Seattle’s

Technology

field, and those who do pursue an inter-

As Spertus says, “Computer science is

a framework for building dynamic web-

est in computing often face long-standing

like magic. You put words and symbols

sites, while still in high school, gaining

stereotypes.

together and make things from your

significant momentum and confidence as

imagination come to life.”

a programmer by the time she chose to

Consider Miya McClain ’06, a computer

WINTER 2014

9

attend Mills. She also had secured the offer

required introductory CS course: they

of an internship from Microsoft CEO Steve

developed two tracks, separating students

Ballmer, who had seen her present her work

with and without previous programming

during a fundraising event. She returned to

experience, and placed greater empha-

Microsoft every summer during her under-

sis on computational problem solving—

graduate career and ultimately landed a

learning how to analyze problems and

permanent job there.

break them down into smaller parts, then

But many women find that increased

finding the most efficient step-by-step solutions.

At Mills, which became the first women’s college to offer a major in computer science in 1974, CS courses are mixed undergrad and grad, and even at the graduate level students are predominantly female. McClain chose Mills through a combination of her TAF mentor’s recommendation, the offer of a tuition scholarship, and personal attention in her recruitment. “Once I was at Mills,” she says, “teachers like Professor Spertus and the small class sizes really helped me succeed and keep going with computer science.”

“Every student comes to our class feeling that she or he belongs there and that we’ll provide support,” Spertus says. “If you can get women to stay in a computer science course and get over that learning curve, they may discover they like it more than they thought they would.”

Miya McClain ’06

Patricia Legaspi ’02 found that one of the most challenging aspects of her learning curve in classes outside of Mills was competition and lack of support at the

building the assertiveness to compete

college level can create a forbidding envi-

with more outspoken students. Growing

ronment. “There tends to be a drop-off

up in East Oakland, she enjoyed play-

in the number of women in CS classes

ing video games and gravitated toward

before it’s time to declare a major,” says

computer science classes in school. Her

Spertus, who adds that female students in

parents, immigrants from Mexico who

co-ed programs tend to judge themselves

hadn’t gone beyond the fourth grade,

more harshly than men. In her research,

made education a high priority for their

she found that “women were more likely

four children and worked hard to send

to leave the major while earning B’s while

them through Catholic schools.

Legaspi earned a Gates Millennium

men with C’s would stay in.”

Some higher education institutions

10

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Scholarship

to

attend

Holy

Names

have found effective ways to improve

College as a computer science major.

this situation. In 2006, when computer

She transferred to Mills as a junior, and

scientist and mathematician Maria Klawe

Spertus urged her to do a summer com-

became

Mudd

puter course at UC Berkeley. Legaspi fol-

College, a mere 10 percent of the col-

lowed that advice and found that she was

lege’s computer science degrees went to

the only woman in a group of 20 male

women. Only six years later, that number

doctoral students. It was her first taste of

had more than tripled.

the “boys club.”

president

of

Harvey

The remarkable change may be due

“It was really intimidating,” she says.

in part to a major revamping of their

“I had to learn to speak up or they were

going to talk right over me. It was very competitive: Who can say the right answer first? Who has the best comment?

It was a game of boys and if I didn’t jump in, I had no chance.”

When she had to prepare a conference presentation, Legaspi did a dry run in front of the class. “They were shooting questions at me, and I felt intimidated and unprepared,” she recalls. “Afterwards, the professor said, ‘It isn’t you; they do that with guys too. Push back. Challenge them as much as they challenge you.’”

Legaspi rose to and passed that and similar challenges. Now, after working as lead tester for Google’s geographical apps, she heads the testing team for the operating system on chromebooks, personal computers designed to use applications that reside on the Web and store data in

Christine Halverson, MA ‘89

the “cloud” accessed through the Internet.

The social network While conferences and hackathons continue to emit a “no girls allowed” vibe, many in the tech community are starting to speak out against those attitudes. Spertus acknowledges that while larger companies have become more inclusive, certain technology sectors, such as the open source and online communities, remain more blatantly impenetrable to women. But smart companies know that diverse teams often come up with better, more elegant solutions to problems. “When designing a product, you want a broad group of people involved. Just as you need people who are multi-lingual or have diverse thinking styles and experiences, you also need women,” says Spertus.

Karen May ’86, vice president of leadership and talent at Google and a member of the Mills Board of Trustees, points out that even with all the technical skill and professional savvy women can muster, the corporate culture that permeates the high-tech field can be particularly unwelcoming. “When you are a woman building a career in technology, you’re in the minority,” she says. “The norms for expected behavior may be more traditionally male. Women’s styles often don’t match those norms, so women can be seen as ‘different.’” Even relatively innoc-

Patricia Legaspi ’02

uous activities, like a round of pick-up WINTER 2014

11

basketball during lunch, can make it difficult for women to be part of the in crowd.

There is no simple formula to level the playing field, according to May, but a combination of things can help. As Patricia Legaspi learned to handle tough questions from her male peers, women can benefit from learning to assert their own opinions and stand up to criticism.

At the same time, May adds, men can make a priority of recognizing women in the room, teams can agree to simple changes like giving everyone three minutes to present a proposal, and organizations can support female employees by assigning them sponsors or mentors.

McClain says she feels fortunate to have found such guidance at Microsoft, including a colleague who took time off to have a baby and then came back to work— a rare example in a field where family and personal life often take a back seat to long hours and demanding deadlines.

“Balancing work and life is a week-toweek thing, but I have an amazing support system in my husband and mother,” says McClain, who is now a mother of two little girls. “We’ve had to be diligent about setting up rules, like weekends are truly family time. That is not to say that these rules don’t get broken sometimes,

Bridging education and employment The gap between classroom and corporation can seem considerable, but the new Annette Chan-Norris ’65 and Evan Norris MD Visiting Professorship at Mills seeks to bring these two worlds closer together. The first two holders of the professorship, both in the computer science department, combine academic credibility and professional experience to bring a uniquely practical perspective to their students. Ümit Yalçinalp, who will begin a one-year term in January, did her undergraduate computer science work at Middle Eastern Technical University in her home country, Turkey, and completed her PhD at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where she remembers feeling surprised to be one of the few females in the computer science department.

At Mills, she plans to make computer science careers both more attractive and more attainable for Mills students.

“Helping women computer scientists and professionals is one of my passions,” says Yalçinalp, who has been active with organizations that promote opportunities for women in technology, such as the Anita Borg Institute and Girls in Tech.

As a software architect at Adobe Systems, Salesforce.com, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems, she has contributed to many cutting-edge technology standards in Java, XML, and cloud

computing, and led product and research groups. In many of these positions, she has provided technical training as well as career mentoring in important skills such as honing a resume and learning to stand out in a group—skills that she will impart to Mills students as well.

In addition to classroom teaching and hands-on lab work, Yalçinalp plans to prepare students by critiquing their resumes and applications, giving feedback on their online presence, and helping them clarify employment goals.

She has already begun a plan of attack for increasing ties to employers, noting that some companies have well-established connections to campus. “The key is to find out which companies are missing,” she says, adding that each company is different in how they handle internships and when they interview for them. “I will use my own connections and social media to collect some of this data, as well as making institutions aware of our students,” she says. “I have already been approached by one software company in Oakland that is interested in providing internships for Mills students.” ○l○l○l○l○ Dave Thau, who will hold the professorship in 2015, is currently working to develop Google’s Earth Engine project, which makes 40 years of satellite images of Earth available to track changes like deforestation and development.

but at least I know what balance should look like.”

Personal

and

professional

support

is a key ingredient to building the self-

A bit more than bytes

to work mostly with teams that have a

confidence needed to make it in the world

Christine Halverson, MA ’89, worked for

good gender mix. “My previous careers—

of technology, says Spertus. “The stereo-

several years as an air traffic controller

debt collection and air traffic control—

type is that women who succeed don’t

before beginning her master’s degree in

were even more dominated by men,” she

want to help others, but that is totally not

interdisciplinary computer science at

says. “Growing up in the ’70s, I learned to

true in computer science.” Spertus says

Mills in the mid-1980s. Her knowledge of

get along.”

that online communities and professional

air traffic control gave her added under-

organizations can be extremely help-

standing when she later evaluated use of

aspects of computing, particularly human

ful, and although most tech conferences

new control systems at NASA while work-

computer interaction, a field that blends

still feature “booth babes” and t-shirts in

ing towards her PhD at UC San Diego. By

computer science, behavioral sciences,

men’s sizes only, there are antidotes such

the time she joined IBM, where she has

psychology, design, and other fields to

as the annual Grace Hopper Celebration

spent 16 years as a research staff member,

improve usability and satisfaction. As

of Women in Computing, which includes

she’d developed the thick skin needed to

devices from gaming consoles to aircraft

talks on technical topics, how to run

stand up in the high-tech world.

control panels become more complex,

workshops that interest girls, and how to balance family life with careers.

12

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Halverson

specializes

in

cognitive

While IBM is still a man’s world in

every aspect of design and function must

many ways, she says, she has been lucky

be evaluated in order to make these tools

“Being able to ask global questions is increasingly important, and these techniques for monitoring the environment are relatively new,” Thau says.

A large portion of his current work entails teaching and presenting, and he has mentored graduate students at UC Davis, Google interns (many who were subsequently hired to full-time positions), and newer employees.

Thau received a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from UCLA and, spurred by an interest in how computers can be programmed to recognize patterns the way humans do, continued on to earn a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He co-founded an early web development company in 1993 and has extensive experience with database systems and online communities. He has also held positions at the California Academy of Sciences and as a liaison between the UC Davis computer science department and the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas.

Thau plans to set up an interview coaching series and to introduce students to people from a variety of institutions. “I work closely with many NGOs, nonprofits, and research institutions,” he says, “which gives me a broad network of people who have opportunities for interns.”

Annette Chan-Norris (in pink) with her husband, Evan Norris, and their son, Jesse, during a recent visit with President DeCoudreaux and faculty from the computer science department.

Annette Chan-Norris ’65 and her husband, Evan, are “very, very excited” about the gift they’re bringing to Mills College this spring—a new professorship that will bring a high-tech industry professional or academic to campus each year to teach, mentor, and provide practical career advice to students in the hard sciences: chemistry, physics, biology, math, and computer science. The Annette Chan-Norris ’65 and Evan Norris MD Endowed Visiting Professorship in Science and Technology is also intended to increase internships and other ties to employers.

“We’re so pleased to have people from the industry help students network and give them a different perspective on the practical applications of what they learn in the classroom. This will help them plan for further education or joining the work force,” Chan-Norris says.

Chan-Norris and her husband have a long history of scholarship gifts both to Mills College and to Norris’s alma mater, St. Lawrence University. As Chan-Norris explains, “both Evan and I are very committed to education when we’re thinking of gift giving. Education is the top of the list.”

Having already established the Leonard and Mary Chan Endowed Scholarship in Computer Science at Mills in honor of Chan-Norris’s parents, they sought to provide “a different kind of enrichment to the students,” Norris says. “This is an opportunity to acquaint students with what goes on outside the Ivory Tower, to make connections and create opportunities.”

“Mills has been wonderful to me,” says Chan-Norris, who came to Mills from Hong Kong and felt “very comfortable on my own at Mills. I had the chance to see student government at work; try different volunteer jobs, including working on the school newspaper; and take courses outside my comfort zone. I’m grateful to still have friends that were made when we first met at Mary Morse Hall. That’s a very special thing.”

Chan-Norris, who lives in Chappaqua, New York, is an active member of the Mills College Club of New York, which this year held its 60th annual benefit to support students from the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. One of her greatest goals is to keep Mills College and its alumnae strong. “All of us want the next generation to experience the same academic challenges we had in a beautiful environment at an all-women’s college.”

—Valerie Sullivan

other countries, and to help locate water,

as intuitive as possible for a wide range of

Spertus has shown this too through her

users. She has also done work in computer

creation of software at Google that has

supported cooperative work, examining

helped educate hundreds of thousands,

Such creativity and innovation has

the behaviors of teams working collabora-

and in her popular Mills class, Technology

always been the cornerstone of the tech-

tively, often from different worksites.

for a Better World, which teaches her stu-

nology industry, and Spertus strongly

dents the immense potential of technol-

believes that, despite the obstacles, wom-

ogy to do good.

en’s talent is vital and necessary to keep

“I remain intrigued by how we interact with and use technology,” she says.

firewood, and other necessary resources.

example,

the field moving forward. “Women are

groups make social inferences when inter-

can have a huge effect in places like

users of technology and should play a

acting with computers.”

Africa, where cell phone use is soaring.

part in its creation,” she says with convic-

“At IBM, we’ve researched how people in

Smart

phone

apps,

for

Halverson’s ideas have been put to

“Improving life in the developing world

tion. “If you want to create things that can

good use improving the way people work

appeals to my students and motivates

change people’s lives for the better, and to

and use technical tools, showing the tre-

them,” says Spertus. Her students have

be part of something larger than yourself,

mendous benefit and “multiplier effect”

imagined apps that could make it possible

computer science is the place to be.” ◆

that is possible for women working in

for rural storekeepers to order supplies

computer science.

online, for villagers to link to relatives in

WINTER 2014

13

A note from the AAMC president

The beginning of my three-year term as presi-

AAMC is an independent organization led by a

dent of the Alumnae Association of Mills College

Board of Governors. Among other duties, the gover-

(AAMC) has been full of wonderful activities that

nors develop and plan events that have an empha-

have allowed me to meet many great alumnae, stu-

sis on culture and continued education in order to

dents, staff, faculty, and trustees. Since July, I have

serve a broad spectrum of alumnae. Many of these

participated in receptions for Hung Liu exhibits

events are funded with generous donations to the

at the Oakland California Museum and the San

AAMC Endowment Fund and are fueled by alum-

Jose Museum of Art; journeyed with President

nae volunteers who give freely of their time, energy,

DeCoudreaux and her equally cordial husband,

and expertise. These dedicated alumnae are reaping

José, on the AAMC travel program “Waterways of

the rewards of fun and satisfying efforts while work-

Russia;” attended a fundraiser with the Orange

ing to keep Mills College relevant for current and

County Mills College Club featuring newly

future generations of undergraduate women and

tenured Professor Kirsten Saxton ’90; and,

graduate women and men.

with the other members of the AAMC Board

As the saying goes: “It takes a village”—and

of Governors, welcomed over 200 new

yes, indeed, it does take a great number of car-

undergraduate students at the annual Taco

ing alumnae to lend a hand and help maintain

Tuesday celebration.

the present and shape the future of Mills College.

Of course, the event that topped it all was

The AAMC encourages your participation at any

Reunion weekend at the end of September.

level. If you are interested in being part of AAMC

Over 425 alumnae and friends participated in

leadership, please see the call for nominations

four days so full of inviting activities that, at

on the inside back cover. If you’d like to become

times, I wished I had been able to split into

active with your local branch or learn more about

many selves in order to attend several events

other volunteer opportunities, please contact us

at once. A highlight of the weekend was

at aamc@mills.edu or 510.430.2110.

the AAMC Alumnae Awards Luncheon (see details on the opposite page). Along with the

I look forward to seeing many more of you at future events.

AAMC Update, the AAMC sponsored three other Reunion events: Rebeca Mauleón ’89,

Sincerely,

MA ’97, led participants in a Cuban music

N. T. Lucy Do ’75

workshop that had them bumping and gyrat-

President, Alumnae Association of Mills College

ing well into their next event; the Alumnae of Color MiniCine Festival was “standing-room Alumnae process for Convocation (top); Lucy Do (above) greets alumnae at a Reunion event (right).

only” and ended in a lively panel discussion with the film makers; and a lecture and demonstration on Chinese calligraphy by Professor Chiu-Hung Chen challenged all of our fine motor skills to perfectly form numerals with traditional brushes.

There are numerous other events throughout the year that are the result of continued and successful collaborations among the Mills College Office of Alumnae Relations, the various branches and clubs of alumnae across the country, and the AAMC. The

14

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Reunion Alumnae award winners shine Thembisa S. Mshaka ’92 Distinguished Achievement

phonathon and with Habitat for Humanity in

“As a freshwoman at Mills, anything seemed pos-

San Leandro High School, where she is an active

sible,” Thembisa Mshaka said as she accepted the

member and volunteer with her local teachers’

Distinguished Achievement Award at the Saturday

union, and her dedication to Mills remains unwav-

luncheon during Reunion. “For the first time, my

ering. Elected to the AAMC Board of Governors in

schedule, my life, my future were all up to me.”

2006, she has served as vice president and on nearly

Oakland. Campfield is now an English teacher at

Mshaka’s unstoppable talent and drive has

every committee—few AAMC events happen with-

helped her make the most of that future, and she

out her involvement. “It has been my pleasure and

is now a top name in entertainment marketing. She

sheer joy to volunteer my time at Mills College,”

won a PromaxBDA Gold Award as writer and talent

Campfield said. “I especially enjoy volunteering at

director with Academy Award–winner Jamie Foxx

this event, Reunion. One road, many destinations,

for the 2009 BET Awards; her leadership helped

and once a year they all lead back here.”

win an Emmy for Rap-It-Up, an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign; and, while working with Sony Music, she created the global advertising campaign for Lauryn Hill’s solo album, which has sold some eight million copies.

Behind all her success, however, Mshaka remains dedicated to ethical leadership and bettering her community—lessons made plain from her time at Mills and, in particular, her role in student government during the 1992 Strike. “It was [at Mills] that I learned a thing or two about leveraging power, and about the power of integrity when others place their trust in me,” she said.

Lynda Campfield ’00, MA ’02 Outstanding Volunteer

Michelle Balovich ’03 Recent Graduate Award “When my mother drove me through the Mills gates, I knew right away that I would be going to college here. The campus environment exuded an aura of tradition, femininity, freedom, safety, and inclusiveness,” Michelle Balovich said. Many alumnae volunteers furthered Balovich’s confidence and knowledge—she learned Mills traditions from Jane Cudlip King ’42 and Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51, and received investment advice from Harriet Fong Chan ’98. “When I was around these women from the AAMC, I felt like I could fully be myself, be included in the fabric of this

For as long as she can remember, volunteering

community, and that I had made the right decision

has been a way of life for Lynda Campfield. “Long

to attend Mills.”

before Mills would teach me, ‘Remember who you

Balovich, who works at Wells Fargo and is pursu-

are and what you represent,’ my parents taught me

ing an MBA, joined the AAMC’s Alumnae Student

that if you have something to give, then you must

Relations Committee in her sophomore year and

give,” said Campfield. From being a teacher’s assis-

became a member of the AAMC Board of Governors

tant at Vacation Bible School to welcoming families

just two years after graduating. A staunch supporter

to the Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska, when

of life-long learning, she became the first chair of

she was a child, Campfield found both fun and sat-

the Educational Outreach Committee in 2008 and,

isfaction in helping others.

in that role, has been responsible for sponsoring

As a resumer at Mills, she continued to volunteer, serving as a student caller for the AAMC

President DeCoudreaux with Michelle Balovich, Thembisa Mshaka, and Lynda Campfield (top).

These alumnae were among the many who enjoyed lunch and the award ceremony during Reunion on September 28 (above). Read more about this year’s AAMC award winners at aamc.mills.edu.

more than 30 events that further social connections and intellectual enrichment for alumnae.

WINTER 2014

15

Reunion

1

4

2

3 16

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

5

6

7

8

From September 26 through 29, Reunion 2013 drew 425 alumnae and guests to campus (a 32 percent increase over last year) to enjoy 60 events.

1 The Class of ’48 enjoys Sunday brunch.

2 Karen Madison ’77, Connie Swan Davidson ’73, MA ’02, EdD ’06, and Sheryl Wooldridge ’77 robe up for Convocation.

3 A spirited volleyball match pits alumnae versus students.

4 Jack Elliott ’12 pays homage to Aurelia Henry Reinhardt.

10

9

5 A potting workshop provides hands-on fun.

6 The Alumnae of Color film festival draws a full house.

7 Reunion attendees of many generations share conversation with members of this year’s senior class.

8 Kyra, MBA ’11, makes a connection at the MBA fair.

9 Wendy Hull Brody ‘68 tries her hand at Chinese calligraphy.

10 Diana Fleming ’93 and Mary Akatiff Cudahy ’93.

11 Susan Brown Penrod ’71, Laurel Burden ’68, Susy Stern Fineman ’68, Bonnie Reuter Leaver ’58, and Nangee Warner Morrison ’63 celebrate the first gathering of the El Campanil Club for consistent donors.

11

Reunion photos by Dana Davis, Allisun Novak, and Teresa Tam WINTER 2014

17

Class photos

Reunion

Class of 1963 Top row: Diane Tarr Lancaster, Linda Seligman Schulz, Susan May Rose, Ann Holland Truax, Catherine Hamblen Rafferty, Judy Miller Logsdon, Bette-B Bauer, Bobbi Meyer Bear, Patricia Finn Burkhard, Barbara Forster Mitchell Fourth row: Ellen Higginbotham Rogers, Linda Barker Spear, Beth Feldhammer Eiselman, Berta Torres Rodriguez, Barbara Goldblatt Becker, Barbara Evans, Dorothy Cathcart Seagle, Marion “Del” Lamson Thomas, Emily Rose Yarnall Third row: Judith Johnson McLaren, Sharon Graham Niederhaus, Penny Tonkin Garris, Judith Salzer Warner, Julie Neikirk Headley, Bette Krause Spagel, P ’79, Shirley Kelly, Connie Young Yu, Mary Root Campbell, Susan Miles Gulbransen, P ’94 Second row: Caren Harvey Prothro, Cynthia Facer Clark, P ’91, Paula Finch Stetler, Susan Roche Oie, Hillary Black Dumas, Nancy Ma Thompson, Carol Evans Doughty, P ’11, Judith Horwedel Clark, Diane Pitcher Hoffman, Margaret Goldsmith Fawcett, P ’91 Front row: Grace Dote, Maurie Davidson, Patti Alter Fisher, Nangee Warner Morrison, Anita Aragon Bowers, P ’84, Rosemary Passman Trujillo, Diane DeFreitas Stein, Patricia Yoshida Orr, Jan Walker Killen, Ruby Woo Chen, P ’87, Margrit Geoffey Claxton

18

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

50th reunion

1943 Anna May Leong Duncan, P ’73, Helen Metz Lore

1948 Top row: Muffy McKinstry Thorne, Cynthia Taves, Joan Mary Harrison, Marilyn Wilson Newland, P ’75, Michael Lovgren Langner Front row: Dorothy Braaten Kennedy, Sally Mayock Hartley, Celia Wetzel Taylor, Gene Stockton Bozorth

1953 Top row: Helen Henry Smith, P ’79, Barbara Lee Anderson, Joyce Partenheimer Mann, Jane Van Rysselberghe Bernasconi, Mary Alice Turner Carswell Front row: Patricia Welch Schanzenbach, P ’79, P ’85, Emily McFadon Vincent, Kay Miller Browne, P ’83, Dorothy Seeger, P ’84, La Quita Joy Dillingham Dudley

1958 Top row: Bonnie Reuter Leaver, Helen Drake Muirhead, P ’88, P ’93 Front row: Alice London Bishop, P ’87, Wynne Wrigley Bacon, Mary Stuart McCullough, P ’83

1968 Top row: Amy Rothschild Friedkin, Caroline Coates Herrick, Marina Kershaw Simenstad, MA ’11, Brandie Brandt Gallagher, Lynne E. Dawson, Kristen Reasoner Apgar, Toni Marshall Robinson, Terry Hinkle Fairman, Deborah Campbell Dittman, Candy Pelissero Second row: Wendy Hull Brody, Marilyn Cole Arrington, Carol Jenkins Mathews, Amy Evelyn Millar, Kay Lamer, Jane Rose, Elizabeth Stone Woodward, Gayle Rothrock, Nancy Altemus, Jane Redmond Mueller, Laurel Kathryn Burden Front row: Sharon Coleman, Pamela Lynn Hunt, Linda Cohen Turner, Helen-Marie Wagner Holmgren, Tamia Lynn Hope, Susan Stern Fineman, Sue Ann Tucker, Susan McKenna, Rachel Sadler Mueller, MA ’70, LaVerne Hillard Whitmill

1973 Top row: Linda Kay, Emily Blanck, P ’08, Judith Cohen, Camellia Hudson Franklin, Connie Swan-Davidson, MA ‘02, EdD ’06, Deborah Denise Costa Front row: Victoria Lieber Alvarado, Killara Burn, Alice Gunston Zakian, Diane Knutson, Sheryl Bize-Boutte

1978 Top row: Rhonda McBride-Walker, Susan Crain Hansen, Kristin Harper Bush, Sondra Jean Price, P ’03, Patricia Paynter Berrow, Deborah Estelle Reno, Lana McDonough Front row: Marie Theresa Bowman, Janet Chang-Pryor, Debralyn Alvillar Martinez, Bonnie Griffiths-Allison, Roanne Poverello Tom, Karen Hoh Talioaga, Neva Kesselring

WINTER 2014

19

1983 Top row: Suzanne Young Saluti, Sharon Spelman Taplin, Donita Meagher Prakash, Katie Sanborn, Andreae Elizabeth Downs, Carolyn Doris Warne, Shantee Baker, MA ’83, Barbara Odegaard Dawkins Second row: Linda Treffinger, Marian Murphy-Shaw, P ’14, Stephanie Robin Graham, Kathryn Kidd Croughan, Dana Jackson-Mitchell (with daughter Erica), Mary Elisabeth Awbrey Front row: Sarah Tyrrell, Elizabeth Stephenson Norheim, Ann Elizabeth Page, Toni McElroy, MA ’05, EDD ’13, P ’05, Anna Clark Foote, Jennifer Monten Montgomery

1988 Top row: Abigail Katherine Grant, Robin Peers Fallat, Cathy Gildea ’87, SusanRose “Suki” Asako Gibson, Tamara Anderson Banks, Angela Ann Begley, Virginia “Gin” Likins Breaux, Jennifer Jo Trueblood, Kim Belcher-Morris, Kristen Baumgardner Caven Second row: Heidi Smith Gilbert, Marlene Goerl, Lisa Kuney, Cecily Peterson, Amanda Bliss Taylor, Laura Henderson Wohl, Mary Kathryn Kelley, Kimberly Faye Cupp, Erika Gaye O’Quinn, Lilo Campeau, Stephanie Saad Thompson Front row: Rebecca Parker O’Neil, Kellye Ryan, Sanchee Nicole Jordon, Arlonda Pleshette Grant, Carmen Yvonne Phillips, Heather Cox, Rhea Carol Watson-Johnson, Michelle Mope Andersson, Auna Kate Harris, Kelly Lynn Smith, Kristi Pollock-Linn

1993 Top row: Phoenix Feinbloom, Angela Rene Moquin, Mary Akatiff Cudahy, Jennifer Joanne Matan, Zelda Lynn Allison Second row: Christine Bartholomew Pierson, Laura Compton, Lauren Obermueller Keene, Diana Fleming Front row: Jean Sirius, Elizabeth Bales-Stutes, Katrina Cook, Libby Smith, Jennifer Moxley

1998 Elese Lebsack

2003 Top row: Katja Geldhof, Elizabeth Gomez, Gabrielle FilipCrawford, Holly Smith, Anna Katharina Peter Third row: Rowena Weger Leo, Hatzune Aguilar Sanchez, Nicole Hogarty Macias, Kara Blaney Kasunich, Nora Al Baroudi, Michelle Balovich, Trouble Erin Gouch Mandeson, Kathy Spaeth, April Ninomiya Hopkins, MFA ’03 Second row: Sara Shreve ’02, Elizabeth “Tizzie” WeeksEugenio (with daughter Annelise), Ledah Casburn, Christine Couture, Darcy Jean Totten, Alice Anne Kaminski, Hailey Phelan Carlson, Nichole Benkula Keller Front row: Laura Fernandez-Benge, Ashley Borovicka, Rachael Dichter, Jill Mie Kunishima, Rachel Simone Kau-Taylor, Liz Pickering, Bianca Hovda

2013 Chelsea Ann Ekholm, Stephanie Yoshizuka, Emily Kaput

To purchase prints, go to www.luzography.com/ clients/mills2013

20

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

I’m leaving a legacy so future students can step out of their comfort zones.

Emily discovered politics and activism at Mills.

I lived in Ethel Moore Hall for three years, and I’ll always remember my sleeping porch and the black bottom pie. At Mills I was able to step out of this comfort zone to become an activist through anti-war and Democratic Party participation. This is why my husband, Danny, and I are planning a bequest to the College. We want Mills to continue to encourage women to be active in their communities.

– Emily Blanck ’73

To learn more about creating a legacy of your own at Mills

contact us toll-free at 1.877.PG.MILLS (1.877.746.4557) or planagift@mills.edu.

If you’ve recently included Mills in your estate plans, please let us know.

A bequest in which you name Mills as a beneficiary in your will or trust is the simplest kind of planned gift you can make.

Bequests reduce the amount of your estate subject to estate tax and help you leave a legacy while keeping your assets during your lifetime. For more information visit www.mills.edu/pg.

In Memoriam Notices of death received before September 21, 2013

Joan Parker Ostermann ’50, May 2, 2012, in Capitola, California.

To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123

Jeanne Aurel-Schneider ’51, August 29, in Walnut Creek, California.

She earned an MFA at San Jose State University and started the Children’s Art School at the San Jose Museum of Art. In her own work, which was exhibited throughout the US, Europe, and Australia, she developed a technique for embedding textiles and other items into handmade paper. Since 1995, she spent each summer in France. She is survived by her husband, Donald; four children, including Catherine Marie Schneider-Lewis ’74; and five grandchildren.

Alumnae Virginia Gertmenian Nahigian ’32, August 13, in Bradbury, California.

A resident of Pasadena since 1979, she was a professional harpist and performed until she was 95. Survivors include three children and nine grandchildren Adeline Hughes Thompson ’36, May 9, 2011, in Wilsonville, Oregon.

Survivors include her niece Patricia Kohn ’60.

Helene Smedley Willson ’38, March 25, 2012, in San Diego. She is survived by five children and six grandchildren.

Joanne Goodlin Starr ’51, August 25, in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Following her husband’s death in 1976, she took over his business representing industrial heating manufacturers and was the only woman in that field for many years. She is survived by four children and six grandchildren.

Suzanne Price Propstra ’43, July 17, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. An accomplished sportswoman, she is survived by three children and six grandchildren.

Dorothy Walker Hewes ’52, January 30, in San Diego. She completed her PhD in early childhood education and was a professor at Cal State Bakersfield and San Diego State University, authoring several books and articles in her field. She was also instrumental in establishing The Bakersfield Play Center. She is survived by four children and seven grandchildren.

Martha “Patsy” Greaney Conrad ’44, June 9, in Pukalani, Hawaii. She was a flight attendant in her younger years, and cared for her family and home throughout her adult life. She is survived by two sons and three grandchildren.

Marilyn Walker Waltman ’54, February 26, in Clarence, New York. She worked as a librarian at an elementary school and at Clarence Presbyterian Church. Survivors include two sons and two sisters, including Catherine Elizabeth Chamberlain ’51.

Elizabeth Sheffield Webb ’45, July 28, in East Aurora, New York. An antiques dealer, Girl Scout leader, and breeder of golden retrievers, she was active with First Presbyterian Church and worked as director of public relations at Deaconess Hospital in Buffalo. Survivors include her daughters, Melanie Boyd Gustin ’69, Diane Webb Turner ’71, Wendy Sheffield Cerio ’74, and two sons.

Priscilla Drum ’56, March 23, in Pahoa, Hawaii.

Mary Harris Hilli ’46, February 26, in Canaan, Connecticut. She taught remedial reading and math in the New Britain School System for 23 years, belonged to the Association of Retired Teachers of Connecticut, and served on the Altar Guild of St. James Episcopal Church. She is survived by three children and two grandchildren.

Jean Johantgen Hanke ’61, June 25, in Bellevue, Washington. She earned a PhD in management and became a professor in the school of business at Seattle Pacific University.

Florence Compton Yerxa ’40, February 22, 2012, in Seattle. She is survived by her husband, Fendall; five children; and six grandchildren.

Marilyn Stoven Loftsgaarden ’46, March 23, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Mildred Zitlau Young ’46, August 5, in Sonora, California. After receiving an MA from UC Berkeley, she established a private psychology practice in Belvedere. She remained very active with Mills alumnae activities and was director of the youth group at the Mill Valley Community Church.

Survivors include her sister, Helen Issel.

Myrl “Micky” Palmer Johnson ’49, July 5, in Fernley, Nevada. She completed her degree in psychology at UC Berkeley and later settled on 150 acres in northern Nevada. She is survived by her husband, Jim; three children; and three grandchildren.

Susanne Armstrong ’50, August 15, in Davis, California. An accomplished pianist and singer, she worked as associate director of admissions for international graduate students at UC Davis. She was a longtime volunteer at the UC Davis Arboretum and, with her friend June McCaskill, guided many arboretum-sponsored trips to foreign destinations.

Survivors include two brothers and nine nieces and nephews.

Kay Fraser Gilliland ’50, September 10, in Oakland, California. She taught math in Oakland schools for many years before working in curriculum development at the Lawrence Hall of Science and joining the Mills School of Education as a teacher supervisor. An avid gardener and animal lover, she was also a member of the Oakland Zoo. Survivors include her partner, Rhea Babbitt, and a son.

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M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Carolyn Keagy Finley ’58, August 29, in Santa Rosa, California. She was co-owner of the Needlepoint Place and later worked with HewlettPackard. She is survived by two children and five grandchildren.

Jacqueline Rys Brogren ’61, August 14, 2012, in Akersberga, Sweden.

Ellen Spector Silverglat ’64, August 24, in Missoula, Montana. She earned a master’s degree at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare and worked in general welfare, medical social work, child welfare, adoptions, and psychiatric social work. Survivors include her husband, Michael, and a daughter.

Anne Shimek Paye ’67, June 20, in Woodside, California. As an English instructor in the Foothill–De Anza Community College District, she was instrumental in developing teaching materials and directed the Summer Shakespeare Stage Studies program. She is survived by her husband, Edward Storm; three children; and seven grandchildren.

Jaye Evans, MFA ’68, June 25, in San Francisco. A gifted painter and ceramicist, he studied with Antonio Prieto and exhibited his works throughout California. He was an avid grower of hybrid orchids, and the Royal Horticultural Society of Nottingham, England, named a cymbidium for him in 2008. He is survived by his partner, Bill Barham.

Susan Hopmans ’68, April 14, in Santa Barbara, California. She was a plant collector and raised award-winning miniature horses.

Nancy Loveless Coate ’71, July 2, in Placerville, California. A teacher and aide at both the high school and elementary levels, she also worked with the El Dorado Office of Education and played clarinet in the Sierra Symphony. She is survived by her husband, Jim; two sons; four grandchildren; and her sister, Jean Loveless Ashley ’68.

Sara “Sally” Standley ’85, February 19, 2012, in Frazier Park, California.

Gifts in Memory of nanc y siller wil son

Received June 1, 2013–August 31, 2013 Annis Aiyar by Suzanne Alexander, Carol Anderson and Mike Hoffe, Michelle Balovich ’03, Danielle Brown Stapleton, Katja Geldhof ’03, April Hopkins, MFA ’03, Kris Imada ’98, Carolyn Otis Catanzaro, Valerie Schutz, Pamela Wilson Laura Lundegaard Anderson ’45 by Marion Ross ’44 Paul Armstrong, husband of Joan Thompson Armstrong ’51, P ’95,

by Marilyn McAllister Anderson ’51, Georgian Simmonds Bahlke ’51, P ’80, Martha McMaster Quimby ’51, Betty Hoffmayr Reeds ’51, Beverly Bostick Solo ’51, Jeanne Thomas ’51 Nancy Van Norman Baer ’66 by her husband, Alan Baer Yvonne Mero Baker ’49 by Margaret Clarke Umbreit ’49 Marilyn Carlson Baldwin ’55 by Mary Johnson Foraker ’55 Patricia Widdifield Bethel ’67 by Alta Ronchetto Mowbray ’67

Mary Ann Childers Kinkead ’63 by Elizabeth Baker-Smith and Gerritt Smith, Barbara Goldblatt Becker ’63, Maurie Davidson ’63, Grace Dote ’63, Margaret Goldsmith Fawcett ’63, P ’91, L. Michael and Pamela Foley, Penelope Tonkin Garris ’63, Mary Ann’s husband, Jordan Kinkead, James Knopf, Karen and David Kratter, Trina Lieras, the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club, Maggi Payne, MFA ’72, Judith and Arthur Pittenger, Marion Ross ’44, Joan Selke Sallee, MA ’64, Paulette Sears, MA ’75, Leslie Stein Selcow ’63, Martha Siegel, Connie Young Yu ’63 Susan Roe Lathrop ’69 by Kazuko Tsunematsu Tajima ’69, MA ’71 Sandra Cowan Long ’61 by Judith Lamont Parent-Smith ’61 Henry Magee by his daughter, Catrelia Magee, MA ’75 Maryann Mangold ’61 by Dorotha Myers Bradley ’61 Sally Stepp McLeod ’41 by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Julia Mies by April Hopkins, MFA ’03

Anne Borden by her daughter, Lisa Borden ’84

Madeleine Milhaud by Kit Farrow Jorrens ’57

Dave Brubeck, MA ’46, by Kit Farrow Jorrens ’57

Judy Mollica by April Hopkins, MFA ’03

Gladys Buford, mother of Margaret Wilkerson, by Roselyne Chroman Swig, P ’80

Elizabeth Shepherd Murray ’33 by Elizabeth Bryant Miles ’34

Helene Dietrich ’58 by Dru Eaton Binney ’58 Martha Miller Evans ’63 by her son, Craig Evans, her husband, Geoffrey “Jef” Evans, her daughters, Stacy Evans and Kirsten Evans-Orville

Virginia Gertmenian Nahigian ’32 by her daughter, Susan Nahigian Miller William Marshall Northcott, husband of Linda Northcott, by April Hopkins, MFA ’03

Joy Waltke Fisher ’55 by Diane Smith Janusch ’55

Anne Shimek Paye ’67 by Barbara Hunter ’57, the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club

Kristen Johnson Fluhrer ’69 by Maren Anderson Culter ’69

Leanne Haney Rhodes ’62 by her daughter, Alisha Rhodes ’93

Jean Groschupf Frost ’49 by Margaret Clarke Umbreit ’49

Ann Colyer Rook ’42 by Rachel Walter Michaelsen ’42

Beate Sirota Gordon ’43 by the Alumnae Association of Mills College– Tokyo Branch, Michelle Balovich ’03

Eleanor Stein Rusnak ’36 by Ann Sulzberger Wolff ’42

Sara Amodei Grosskettler ’58, P ’83, P ’86, by Dru Eaton Binney ’58 Chiling Hammer, MA ’08, by Diane Ketelle ’78, MA ’89

Anne Sherrill by Sally Matthews Buchanan ’64, Carolyn Devol ’72 Mary Ausplund Tooze ’44 by Jean Pinckney Nelson ’44, P ’73

Glynda Cober Hardin ’77 by Madelyn Marino ’77

Mae Louise Ford Town ’34 by Elizabeth Bryant Miles ’34

Jean Logan Henderson ’34 by Elizabeth Bryant Miles ’34

Beth Olson Vieira ’59 by Connie Hellyer ’59

Mary Eleanor King Holmes ’43 by Marion Ross ’44

Imogene and Franklin Walker by Kit Farrow Jorrens ’57

Rebecca Davidson Karlson ’69 by her husband, Douglas Karlson

Reynold Wik by Sally Matthews Buchanan ’64, Kit Farrow Jorrens ’57

C. Rodgers Kines, husband of Barbara Newman Kines ’55, by Diane Smith Janusch ’55

John Young, husband of Sally Collins Young ’57, by Barbara Hunter ’57

p=parent; For information about making a tribute gift, contact 510.430.2097 or donors@mills.edu.

Claire Hammond Davis ’87, June 27, in Spokane, Washington. A resumer at Mills after her children were grown, she was an avid reader, gardener, traveler, and debater of current events. She is survived by her husband, Larry; three children; and six grandchildren.

Maura Rodriguez Gonzalez ’88, August 5, in Del Cerro, California.

A fifth-grade teacher who often worked with students for whom English was a second language, she had immigrated from Mexico and studied English until she could enroll in college. Survivors include a daughter and four sisters.

Spouses and Family Nadine C. Mahne, mother of Carla Mahne Rosenblum ’59, September 14.

Maurice Lawler, husband of Katherine Orr Lawler ’47, May 24, in Berkeley, California.

Nils Wennerholm, husband of Patricia Sieff Wennerholm, May 21, in Greensboro, Georgia.

Chiling Mai Hammer, MA ’08, June 12, in Piedmont, California. A native of Taiwan, she had a passion for education and made a career as a teacher and teacher’s coach. Survivors include her husband and two sons.

WINTER 2014

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In launching the “Stories We Share” project at this year’s Reunion, we asked alumnae to “fill in the blank” with their own answers to the query “Mills gave me the skills and knowledge to....” Their responses are as individual as they are!

“The Stories We Share” celebrates the voices and life paths of Mills graduates while connecting graduates to each other and the College. Visit alumnae.mills.edu/stories to see more stories and to share your own.

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M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Nominate the next alumna trustee Make your voice heard on the Mills College Board of Trustees and the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) Board of Governors. All alumnae are invited to nominate themselves or other alumnae as candidates for the position of alumna trustee for the 2014–2017 term. Alumnae trustees serve a three-year term both on the Board of Governors of the AAMC and the College’s Board of Trustees and are expected to participate on committees on both boards. Interested candidates will find additional information on the responsibilities of the position and how to apply on the “Leadership” section of the AAMC website, aamc.mills.edu.

Submissions are due January 7, 2014

Submissions are due January 7, 2014, to AAMC Nominating Committee Chair Pierre Loving ’77 at Pierreloving@alumnae.mills.edu or AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613.

Alumnae tr avel 2014 Normandy: the 70th anniversary of D-Day April 22–30, 2014 Honor the courageous World War II soldiers who fought to liberate Europe. From your base in scenic Honfleur, a historian will guide your visit to historic landing beaches and you’ll walk through history at the American Military Cemetery, the Caen Memorial and museum, and Sainte Mère Église, one of the first towns liberated on D-Day. Other attractions include majestic Mont-Saint-Michel and Monet’s home and studio in Giverny.

Croatia’s Adriatic Coast June 9–20, 2014 Croatia’s historic cities, pristine parkland, and sun-drenched coastline provide a rich landscape with a vibrant cultural heritage. Explore Zagreb, Croatia’s ancient capital; the charming seaside towns of Trogir and Split; the island of Hvar; and the lush forests and crystal blue lakes of Plitvice Lakes National Park. Conclude your journey in Dubrovnik, where a spectrum of architectural styles coexist within the medieval city wall.

Great Journey through Europe June 24–July 4, 2014 Cruise from Amsterdam to Basel aboard the MS Amadeus Princess, sampling the charms of fairy-tale towns studding the route of the Rhine River. Then, travel overland through Switzerland’s verdant countryside, as legendary railways convey you in style through the Alps to complete your journey in lovely Lucerne.

Honfleur

Trogir

See the AAMC travel website at aamc.mills.edu for full itineraries of these and other upcoming trips. For reservations or additional information, call the Alumnae Association of Mills College at 510.430.2110 or email aamc@mills.edu.

Mills Quarterly Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd.

Oakland, CA 94613-1301 510.430.3312 quarterly@mills.edu www.mills.edu Address service requested Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, CA, and at additional mailing office(s)

volunteers are

the story of mills

Whenever you volunteer with Mills, you play a major role in the unfolding story that is the future of the College.

Whether you reach out to potential students, mentor current students, network with other alumnae, or raise scholarship funds, every volunteer experience also gives you a new story to tell: about how connecting with people in the Mills community enriches your life.

Contact the Office of Alumnae Relations at 510.430.2123 or alumnae-relations@mills.edu to learn more about opportunities to connect as a class agent (see also page 27 inside), class secretary, regional volunteer, Reunion volunteer, career mentoring and networking volunteer, or alumna admission representative, among other roles.

To find out about other ways to stay connected to Mills or to share your story about what keeps you connected, visit alumnae.mills.edu/connect.

Malindi Zimmer ’98, regional volunteer

My work with restarting the Portland Mills Club has connected me to a broad community of women in the area and offered the opportunity for some meaningful friendships. It has been exciting to work with the College on events and planning, and I love meeting prospective and current students and offering them the support of the greater Mills community.