Mills Matters

Alum nominated to UN Human Rights Council

On October 21, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Michèle Nichols Taylor ’88 to serve as the United States representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, a position that carries the rank of ambassador during her tenure of service. A statement from the White House listed some of Taylor’s many accomplishments and careers: “Taylor has served in a number of roles advocating

NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Michèle Nichols Taylor

for protection of fundamental human and political rights,” it described. That includes being a board member of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and serving as its “Power to Inspire” chair and development chair, as well as consulting with the White House on the 20th anniversary of Violence Against Women Act.

In addition to her work in civil rights, Taylor is also a strong antiSemitism advocate. Taylor, whose mother survived the Holocaust, has served as a member of the International Holocaust Remebrance Alliance’s Committee on State Sponsored Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Council and Committee on Conscience. She also worked in various roles for the North Carolina Outward Bound School for nearly 20 years, where she has served on the board and also as an instructor and course director.

The nomination does still require confirmation by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the full Senate. Taylor, who graduated from Mills with a double major in mathematics and psychology, later received a master’s degree in math from Boston University. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Kenneth, and she has two grown children.

Taylor’s 1988 senior portrait

Former Professor of Education writes book on school’s history

Since 1926, the Mills College Children’s School (MCCS) has conducted rich and varied research on child behavior and development—a history that Professor Emerita of Education Edna Mitchell wanted to document in its own book. Published independently last April, Early Childhood Education Through the Ages: A Partial History of the Mills College Children’s School covers the development of European and US educational practice, with final focus on the evolution of MCCS as the first campus laboratory school in the western United States. The book is available for purchase on Amazon.

Mitchell had always been deeply interested in the development of teaching as a profession, which is why she devoted of education, the book was a natural product of her time at Mills.

But that research wasn’t the only thing she accomplished while on the Mills faculty. In addition to her work with the Department of Education, Mitchell also served as the director of Graduate Studies, was founding director of the Women’s Leadership Program, and created an evening degree program for non-traditional-age working women.

About the phrase “partial history” in the title of her book, Mitchell explains: “Many others who have been part of the Children’s School will have more versions to add. [...] There could have been many more voices, but that is for another author to solicit and organize. My book is not our final history.”

the first half of the book to foundational ideas on education from past to present. “I hoped to link those from the past, both internationally and nationally, with the gradual development of the Children’s School at Mills,” Mitchell says.

The second half of the book is dedicated to Mitchell’s personal experiences with MCCS. When she joined the Mills faculty in 1973 as head of the Department of Education, coming from Smith College, she was eager to work with the Children’s School after positive experiences with the laboratory school on the Smith campus. Her research focused on children’s play in particular, as well as toys and playgrounds as socio cultural influences. Combined with her interest in history and the philosophies

Mills College at a glance

The 2021–21 student body has 817 students representing 33 states and 13 countries

Student body, 2021–22

Undergraduates ................................................................... 446 First year .................................................................................38 Transfer ...................................................................................47 Living on campus ................................................................45% Students of color ................................................................. 66% First-generation .................................................................. 44% Resumers .................................................................................16%

Graduate students .............................................................. 371 Women .....................................................................................82% Men ............................................................................................18% Students of color .................................................................. 61%

Faculty full time part time Total .................................................... 77................................ 102 Female faculty .............................. 73%..............................77% Faculty of color ........................... 44% ............................ 56% Student-to-faculty ratio ........................................................7:1 Average class size ..................................................................... 8

Top undergraduate majors, 2021–22

Psychology English Sociology Biology Studio Art

Top graduate programs, 2021–22

Education English Public Policy Pre-Medical MBA

Affording Mills

Undergraduates

Tuition ............................................................................... $29,340 % receiving financial aid ................................................. 89% Total aid .............................................................................. $9.8M Amount funded by Mills ............................................. $5.4M

Graduate students

Tuition .............................................................................. $34,833 % receiving financial aid .................................................. 91% Total aid .............................................................................. $5.7M Amount funded by Mills................................................ $1.5M For undergraduates, 86% receive some portion of their aid directly from Mills, and the average award is $26,995.

Budget and fundraising highlights, 2020–21

Annual operating expense budget ........... $63.5 million Endowment value (6/30/21) ...................... $225.6 million

Sources of gifts

Alumnae: $2.6 million........................................................36% Estates: $1.8 million............................................................25% Foundations & Corporations: $1.1 million ..............15% Trustees: $0.9 million.........................................................12% Parents, friends, others: $0.9 million .......................12%

Calendar

Mills College Art Museum

The museum is open 11:00 am–4:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday and until 7:30 pm Wednesday. Admission is free. Visit mcam .mills.edu for more information.

Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of the Paulson

Fontaine Press ■ January 22–March 13

Opening reception, January 22, 5:00-7:00 pm

Personal to Political presents 14 artists who capture the personal narratives and political discourses of African Americans across the country, reflecting a collective experience expressed in uniquely individual ways. At the heart of this show is Berkeley-based fine art print studio Paulson Fontaine Press, which over the past two decades has developed an unparalleled roster of internationally celebrated artists—such as Martin Puryear, Kerry James Marshall, and the Gee’s Bend Quilters— who characterize the fresh perspectives that are today’s avant-garde. In addition to the 44 prints from Paulson Fontaine Press, the exhibition includes a selection of studio works by several of the exhibition artists including paintings, collage, sculpture, and quilts.

Unseen: The Hidden Labor of Women ■

January 22–March 13 Opening reception, January 22, 5:00-7:00 pm

Featuring works from Mills College Art Museum’s permanent collection, Unseen: The Hidden Labor of Women examines multiple feminist perspectives on women’s labor. Curated by students in the fall 2021 Museum Studies Workshop, the exhibition highlights the traditionally under-recognized emotional, physical, and domestic work of women as caregivers, community organizers, professionals, and artists. The exhibition also features new acquisitions by contemporary artists associated with NIAD Art Center in Richmond, California, a progressive art studio for adult artists with developmental disabilities. Artist Lecture: Lava Thomas ■ February 9,

7:00-8:30 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall

Lava Thomas’ work explores issues of race, gender, representation, and memorialization. She draws from her family’s Southern roots, sociopolitical events, intersectional feminism, and African American protest and devotional traditions to amplify visibility, healing, and empowerment in the face of erasure, trauma, and oppression.

“Between Two Worlds” by Radcliffe Bailey, part of Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of the Paulson Fontaine Press Music Now Concert Series

Visit performingarts.mills.edu for more information on times and tickets.

February 5 ■ Jean Macduff Vaux Composer-

in-Residence Nicole Mitchell

February 23 ■ Paul Flight and Ensemble,

playing music by Barbara Strozzi

March 11-12 ■ Signal Flow Festival November 12-13 ■ Dewing Piano Recital,

featuring Samantha Ege

Tech Intersections: Womxn of Color in Computing

Visit techintersections.org to register. January 29, 9:00 am–5:00 pm

BHM365

Black History Month at Mills this February will include a full slate of events. Visit mills.edu/student-life/student-activities/ heritage-months/black-history-month-365.php for a complete schedule.

Bert Gordon discusses Mills history online

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Oakland Public Library has explored different ways to engage the local community safely at home, including through educational webinars. Hosted by the Oakland History Center, the Fall History Series covered important places and organizations tied to Oakland, and on October 27, 2021, it presented “History & Legacy of Mills College.” The video from that session is now available for viewing at youtu.be/wHw-1rVXsSA.

Led by Professor Emeritus of History Bert Gordon, the webinar dove deep into the history of Mills. As if it were another lecture for his students, he started with the beginning of the College’s story in 1852 and worked his way to the present day, including the pending merger with Northeastern University. His extensive presentation used pictures from various periods of the College’s history, and even quotes from past issues of the Quarterly.

At the end of the presentation, he answered questions from viewers in the audience—including alumnae who took his classes in the past. There were some who expressed concerns about the future of Mills, but Gordon addressed those fears with hope for the next generation of students: “There is a legacy, and that legacy will continue, even with whatever changes occur. Maybe I’m being optimistic, but I think that the legacy of Mills is so powerful.”

ALLISUN NOVAK

Campus kudos

A selection of recent achievements by faculty, staff, and students

Mills College was recognized as one of the first 35 colleges in the United States to be named a Fulbright HispanicServing Institution Leader. On October 27, 2021, the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recognized a select number of Hispanic-Serving Institutions for their outstanding participation in the Fulbright Program, including Mills.

The Mills Music Department was mentioned in an interview with frequent collaborators Devendra Banhart and Noah Georgeson, MFA ’03, on the website Brooklyn Vegan. When speaking about his inspirations, Georgeson praised the Center for Contemporary Music and listed the names of other famous music alumnae/i and professors, such as Morton Subotnick, MA ’59; John Cage; Terry Riley; and Pauline Oliveros.

Early Childhood Education Department Chair Priya Shimpi

Driscoll was the distinguished scholar speaker at the Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder on October 1, 2021.

Professor Emerita of Dance Molissa

Fenley won a 2021 Bessie Award in the Outstanding Revived Work category, and was also nominated as Outstanding Performer for State of Darkness. The 37th Annual Bessie Awards ceremony was live-streamed on October 11, 2021. Fenley was also mentioned on The Vinyl Factory in an article about Ryuichi Sakamoto, who had composed the soundtrack for one of her performances, and in another article by Dance Magazine, she discussed how she benefited from the time and studio access at Mills to choreograph.

Professor of Education Katherine

Lee contributed to the forthcoming anthology Contemporary Asian when they spoke out against sexual harassment and abuse at the renowned Academia de la Danza Mexicana in Mexico City.

Visiting scholar Hemopereki

Simon was the first M¯aori scholar to be awarded a Mills College fellowship, which will run until April. As noted by NZ Herald, he intends to use his fellowship to explore political philosophy and theory from a M¯aori viewpoint.

Barbara Lee Distinguished Chair in Women’s Leadership Susan Stryker

was mentioned in a CNN article about a historic act of transgender resistance against the police, which happened three years before the Stonewall riots in 1969. The article, published August 16, 2021, reported that the event was almost lost to history until Stryker found a mention of it in historical archives related to New York City’s 1972 Pride March memorializing Stonewall.

Kelsey Rae Thomas, MFA ’22, received the Cadogan Scholarship Award at the Annual Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition, which ran from September 11 to October 3, 2021. Not only did her art feature in the exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center, she also received mentorship from curator Kevin B. Chen.

Dean of the School of Education

Wendi Williams wrote an article for The Hill to address housing discrimination in light of the recent nationwide initiative “House America.”

American Activism: Building Movements for Liberation (University of Washington Press, 2022). She authored the chapter “Organizing Wherever Your Feet Land: Reconceptualizing Writing and Writing Instruction in Priya Shimpi Driscoll Ajuan Mance the Legacy of Asian American Activism.”

Adjunct Professor of English Kim

Magowan participated in a podcast hosted by Colorado Review, which was released on August 30, 2021. In the episode “In Conversation with Michelle Ross and Kim Magowan,” the two authors talked about their latest co-written short story, “Twenty-Three Safety Manuals.”

Professor of Ethnic Studies and

English Ajuan Mance presented her artwork in the August 2021 exhibition Black Art from the Edge of the Universe at the African American Art & Culture Complex in San Francisco.

Associate Professor of Studio Art

Yulia Pinkusevich took part in the art exhibition Reclaimed: The Art of Recology, which ran through October 17, 2021, at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek. The exhibition presented the work of artists who participated in the artist-in-residence program at the Recology San Francisco Recycling and Transfer Station.

Ariela Ronay-Jinich, MA ’23, was the focus of an article by The Jewish News of North America. Published on September 22, 2021, the piece focused on RonayJinich’s experiences growing up in the Latinx-Jewish community.

Dance instructor Stephanie

Sherman was interviewed for an article by Holtville Tribune, published September 26, 2021. She praised a group of her former performing arts students