Mills QuarterlyWinter 2015

r e i m a g i n i n g l i b e r a l a r t s c o l l e g e s t h e b e s t o f r e u n i o n

The amazing women I met at Mills continually inspire me to be the best person I can be. Forging these extraordinary connections wouldn’t have been possible without financial aid, which allowed me to attend the College. I give to Mills so current and future students can experience what I did. Truly, few things in life are as special as Mills sisterhood!

behindevery 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.

Jill Kunishima ’03

061402 Mills AnnualFundAd#2_final.indd 1 10/15/14 6:27 PM

3 PlanningforchangeFlexibility and adaptability are hallmarks of a strong liberal-arts education. Mills is looking ahead to keep pace with the needs of today’s—and tomorrow’s—students.

6 Majoringinthe21stcentury by Dan Ryan As traditional institutions of higher education face new competitors and financial challenges, how do we forge a curriculum that will prepare students for the century ahead? Ryan, an associate professor of sociology, proposes that the entire structure of the College is ripe for innovation.

10 Learningbydoingby Whitney Phaneuf, MFA ’07 Students in the Master of Public Policy Program show how internships provide a valuable complement to classroom learning and a beneficial bridge to professional work.

14 Honoringtheirachievementsby Vanessa Marlin ’06 Disparate in their career and volunteer accomplishments, this year’s alumnae award winners are united in their lifelong connection to the Mills community. Plus: Reunion class photos.

28 Top10thingsweloveaboutReunionIn a weekend full of fun and special moments, here are a few of our favorites.

Departments

2 Calendar

4 MillsMatters

19 ClassNotes

26 InMemoriam

6 10 28 Mills Quarterly

contents Winter 2015

On the cover: Public policy students Sepi Aghdaee and Sonia Manrique-Stromberg at Oakland’s City Hall, where both have completed internships in the office of City Councilmember—and now Mayor—Libby Schaaf. Photo by Dana Davis.

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Volume CIII Number 2 Winter 2015

President:Alecia A. DeCoudreaux

ChiefofStaffandVicePresidentforCommunicationsandExternalRelations:Renée Jadushlever

Editor:Linda Schmidt

DesignandArtDirection:Nancy Siller Wilson

ContributingWriters:Vanessa Marlin ’06; Whitney Phaneuf, MFA ’07

EditorialAssistance:Lisa Dewees ’16; Russell SchochThe 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 © 2014, Mills College

Address correspondence to Mills Quarterly, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312

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

(Please use outline)

and concluded, ‘Trans inclusiveness rep-resents not an erasure but an updating of this mission.’”

Keep it up, Mills!—Jan Miller White ’65 Newcastle, California

My experiences at Mills completely altered the trajectory of my life; it is not an exaggeration to say that I would not be the person I am today if I hadn’t attended Mills. With that said, it’s obvi-ous that I have immense pride in Mills and in being a Mills alum. I didn’t think it was possible for me to be more proud of Mills, but then the College Board of Trustees Enrollment and Financial Aid Committee approved the new admissions policy related to admitting transgender students. I was absolutely elated when I read the news of that decision! Finally Mills has solidified in policy what has been a part of the fabric of Mills for so long. Kudos to all involved in making this policy a reality, and I look forward to see-ing how it is implemented and the ways that the College grows and improves in the future.

—Amy Kalivas ’02 San Diego, California

I don’t usually speak out, but I was so heartened and proud to read of the College’s stand of unconditionally wel-coming transgender students (“Men of Wellesley: Can women’s colleges survive the transgender movement?” The New York Times Magazine, October 19, 2014).

I have always valued my Mills expe-rience, but to have Mills College men-tioned alongside Wellesley, Smith, and Mt. Holyoke within this complicated dis-cussion only doubled my loyalty.

A sample quote from the article: “In May, Mills College became the first wom-en’s college to broaden its admissions policy to include self-identified trans women, even those who haven’t legally or medically transitioned and even if their transcripts or recommendation letters refer to them as male. The new policy, which begins by affirming Mills’s commitment to remaining a women’s col-lege, also welcomes biological females who identify anywhere on the gender spectrum, as long as they haven’t become legally male. The change grew out of two years of study by a committee of faculty and staff, which noted that Mills has always fought gender-based oppression

LetterstotheEditor

DanceFebruary6 Ebb+FlowAlumniDanceConcert 8:00 pm, Lisser Hall, with a post-event reception at Reinhardt Alumnae House. $10 general, free to Mills students and alumnae. For information, contact millsdancealum@gmail.com.

March6 UndergradUnderground4:00 pm and 6:30 pm, Studio 1, Haas Pavilion. For information, contact dance@mills.edu.

MillsMusicNowFebruary7 MortonSubotnick

February14 Marc-AndréHamelin,DewingPianoRecital

March5–8 SignalFlowFestival(various times and locations)

March21 EyvindKangandFastForward8:00 pm (unless otherwise noted) in the Littlefield Concert Hall. $15 general, $10 senior and non-Mills students, free to alumnae with AAMC card. See musicnow.mills.edu or contact Steed Cowart at 510.430.2334 or steed@mills.edu.

SonglinesSeriesFebruary23 PFLTraject

March16 CarlLudwigHuebsch 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.

CenterforSociallyResponsibleBusinessMarch13 Multi-SectorPartnerships:CatalyzingSocialValue This year’s spring conference examines how nonprofits, philanthropic firms, civil society organizations, and the private sector can work together to add social value, bring about community well-being, realize fair profits, and demonstrate environmental stewardship. For details, see csrbmills.org or contact 510.430.3248 or csrb@mills.edu.

MillsCollegeArtMuseumJanuary21–March15 BillOwensThis exhibition features 33 photographs of women and girls by Bill Owens, who is internationally recognized for his depictions of Northern California suburban life in the 1970s.

For more information, see mcam.mills.edu or contact 510.430.2164 or museum@mills.edu. The museum is open 11:00 am–4:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00 am–7:30 pm Wednesday, and is closed Monday. Admission is free.

Calendar

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Planning for change

At Mills and other liberal arts colleges, students acquire the flexible skills that allow them to adapt to the unexpected opportunities and challenges that life presents to them. Through their deep engagement in society, our graduates tell us and show us that we’ve been doing a very good job of preparing them for suc-cess as scholars, in the workplace, as fam-ily members, and as citizens.

However, even as we celebrate the achievements of our alumnae/i, we con-tinually re-examine the College’s role in preparing today’s and tomorrow’s stu-dents for their very different futures. As part of our strategic plan for prepar-ing students for the 21st century, our Curriculum Transformation Taskforce is re-evaluating our core curriculum and proposing changes to be implemented starting in fall 2016.

This task of developing a curriculum now for a future we can barely discern is not unique to Mills. Technological, demo-graphic, and economic changes in our society at large are raising fundamental questions about the traditional model of higher education. For example, technol-ogy has greatly increased the opportuni-ties for learning outside the classroom while, at the same time, fewer college-bound students can afford to be full-time students for four years. Similarly, the work our graduates will do will require a greater ability to collaborate across dis-ciplines than ever before, and a greater respect for the different perspectives of a diverse workforce.

We are deeply engaged in the thought-ful and iterative process we outlined in our strategic plan for 2013–18. Our students

today are experiencing a curricu-lum and learning environment, with opportunities for internships and community engagement, that they can build on as graduates.

And yet, as Associate Professor of Sociology Dan Ryan notes in his article on page 6, we are chasing an elusive goal, for “[a] liberal arts education is a transformative expe-rience that makes sense of life in a world that … has not yet happened.” How true this is. As the future will always be unknowable, our best plans, core curricula, and learning environments will only be the best until our world changes again and requires us to re-think our priorities and our teaching methods.

The Curriculum Transformation Taskforce is not the only explora-tion launched through our strategic plan. Other initiatives include creat-ing more flexible ways to obtain a Mills education, strengthening our commitment to inclusion and social jus-tice, and developing new community and education partnerships. And, of course, we are also re-examining our budget model so that we can sustain and grow the work of the College. Avoiding struc-tural deficits, refining our outreach to potential students, and adhering to best financial practices are all vital to the suc-cessful operation of the College. They are also, not incidentally, deeply woven into our other initiatives. New fiscal best prac-tices can only be developed hand in hand with a forward-looking model of who our 21st-century students will be, how their experience of higher education will be

structured, and how they will interact with the surrounding community.

I am proud that, as an institution, Mills continually enacts precisely the quali-ties that we hope to foster in our gradu-ates: a realistic assessment of goals and achievements, a willingness to listen to new voices, a flexible approach to meth-ods, and a steadfast commitment to val-ues and relationships. We may not be able to see clearly the future our students will inhabit—and, indeed, will take part in creating—but together we can create an inclusive framework for imagining it, for preparing for it, and for learning from it as it happens.

A Message from the President of Mills College

By Alecia A. DeCoudreaux

Mills Matters

U.S. News & World Report 2015 Best Colleges guide#6 among colleges and universities in the West that offer a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs. Mills appears on this list for the seventh consecutive year and ranks high in offering students a great value. The guide notes that 75 percent of classes at Mills had 20 or fewer students in 2013 and that the 21 percent average giving rate of Mills alumnae is among the top for western schools.

Washington Monthly’s annual College Guide #8 out of the 100 top-ranked mas-ter’s degree–granting universities, maintaining its position in the top 10. This publication rates schools based on their contribution to the public good.

By the numbers: an overview of the 2014–15 student body

Fiske Guide to Colleges Only 15 percent of the country’s best four-year colleges and universities are included on this list authored by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske and regarded as an unbiased source of information; this is the ninth consecutive year that Mills has been selected as one of them.

The Princeton Review’s The Best 379 CollegesFor the 10th consecutive year, Mills was among the top 123 regional colleges, ranking 11th in best health services, 13th for its high levels of race/class interaction, and 15th-most politically liberal. In addition, Mills earned a “green rating” of 98 out of a possible 99 from The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges.

Total Enrollment 1,548Undergraduates 922First-year students 188Transfer students 109Resumers 16%Students of color 54%Living on campus 58%

Graduate students 626Entering 291Continuing 333Women 78%Men 22%Students of color 41%

Faculty full time part time

Total number 107 90Female faculty 68% 72%Faculty of color 31% 28%Terminal degree 93% 62%Student: Faculty ratio 11:1 Average class size 16

Budget & fundraising highlights

Annual budget $81.4 million

Endowment value $189.3 million (June 30, 2014)

Giving to Mills $9.1 million (2013–14)

Trustee gifts $1.8 million

Alumnae gifts $2.5 million

Gifts from parents, $1.2 million friends, and others

Foundation and $2.0 million corporate gifts

Estate gifts $1.6 million

Financial AidFull-time undergraduate tuition for the 2014–15 academic year is $41,618. Approximately 95 percent of undergraduate students receive financial aid; 92 percent receive some portion of their aid directly from Mills. The average award is $39,482. This year, $34.5 million in total aid will be awarded to under- graduates, of which $18.4 million is funded by Mills.

Graduate tuition begins at $30,906. Ninety-four percent of graduate students received finan-cial aid totaling $17.4 million. Mills funded $5.5 million of that amount.

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More numbers: Mills places high on several college ranking lists

W i n t e r 2 0 1 5 5

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

Grateful Graduates Index#29 on the list of the 50 Top “Return on Investment” Colleges 2014 published by Forbes.com. The index is determined by research analyzing 10 years of private gifts to private, not-for-profit institutions offering four-year degrees.

The Daily Meal This website rates Mills #14 in the country in providing fresh, nutritious meals to students.

Business as UNusual: The Social and Environmental Impact Guide to Graduate Programs The Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business is rated 10th in social impact and in the top 25 in envi-ronmental sustainability. The guide, published by Net Impact, is based on ratings provided by more than 3,300 MBA students nationwide.

Professor of Public Policy Carol Chetkovich has been honored with the Leslie A. Whittington Excellence in Teaching Award by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration in recognition of her long record of outstanding contribution to public service education. Chetkovich has been the director of the Public Policy Program at Mills since 2005.

Oxford University Press has pub-lished Resonances of the Raj: India in the English Musical Imagination, 1897–1947 by Associate Professor of Music Nalini Ghuman. In this work, Ghuman refutes the conventional history that depicts a “one-way influence of Britain

on India,” revealing that “England was both deeply aware of and profoundly influenced by India musically during the Indian-British colonial encounter.” Ghuman has compiled a list of musical recordings to accompany the book, and she presented a special book launch concert at Mills in September.

Distinguished Visiting Writer Achy Obejas has been named a United States Artists Fellow for 2014.

Dave Donahue, associate provost and professor of education, is co-author of Art-Centered Learning Across the Curriculum: Integrating Contemporary Art in the Secondary School Classroom, published by Teachers College Press. The book makes a clear and compelling argument for how contemporary art supports student learning and con-cludes with a chapter on an integrated, inquiry-based curriculum inspired by contemporary art, including guidelines for developing art projects teachers can adapt to student interests and needs.

Professor of Spanish and Spanish American Studies Carlota Caulfield has released her latest book of poetry, JJ/CC (Ediciones La Mirada).

This House, My Bones, a new book of poetry by Professor of English Elmaz Abinader, was published in October by Willow Books. Abinader’s work also

appears in Talking Through the Door: An Anthology of Contemporary Middle Eastern American Writing (Syracuse University Press) and in the summer 2014 issue of Sukhoon magazine.

Associate professor of dance Sonya Delwaide was commissioned to cho-reograph a production of The Tempest at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, as well as a new work for the Oakland Ballet Company. Shinichi Iova-Koga, visiting artist in dance, received $40,000 from the Creative Work Fund towards the cre-ation of a new work honoring Anna Halprin, to premiere in 2015.

College President Alecia A. DeCoudreaux has joined the board of directors of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which supports activities in education, the envi-ronment, global development and population, performing arts, and phi-lanthropy. In addition, DeCoudreaux was recognized by the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women with its CEDAW Award for Education. CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, is an international bill of rights for all women that has been ratified by 186 countries—but not the United States.

NaliniGhuman,DaveDonahue,ElmazAbinader

Majoring in the 21st century

How can today’s educators create a curriculum that will best equip students

for the world of tomorrow? By Dan Ryan

Every August, Beloit College in Wisconsin publishes a “mind-set list” that purports to char-acterize students entering college that fall. Last year’s

18-year-olds were born in 1996. A few gems from the 2014 list, describing the world they know:• Theirformaleducationbeganwith

planes crashing into the World Trade Center.

• Wire-rimmedglassesevokeHarryPotter, not John Lennon.

• HongKonghasalwaysbeenapartofthe People’s Republic of China.

• Bothmenandwomenhavealwaysplayed professional basketball.

• USquartershavealwayshadindivid-ual state themes on the back.

The lists are by turns provocative, snarky, and funny. Some people find them con-descending; for others they are a useful conversation starter. Beloit’s 2002 list, for example, noted that for that year’s enter-ing class The Tonight Show had always been hosted by Jay Leno, and they had no idea when or why Jordache jeans had ever been cool. Had the list been published for the Mills Class of ’43, it might have said that commercial radio had always existed (though their teach-ers could remember when there were no “airwaves”) and women could always vote

(though the president of Mills College, Aurelia Henry Reinhardt, had served for four years in that role before being able to). What might have been on the mind-set list when you started school?

The Beloit list is fun, but it rankles, too, not least because it feeds a bad habit: mocking the young for not knowing about the world before they were born, and thinking that our task as teachers is to familiarize them with all that came before.

This line of thinking is especially common when professors, administra-tors, trustees, and alumnae/i start talk-ing about liberal arts, general education, and curriculum reform. We look back to the good old days at Columbia, Chicago, Williams, or Mills and say, “you know, that curriculum served me well. It’s exactly what young people today need.” Our college memories can turn even the most progressive among us into legacy-defending reactionaries.

Why did it work for me?But stop and think. Why did that educa-tion work so well for us? What about it was really essential and timeless?

Let’s imagine for a second that we are in the class of 1963, people who spent our twenties in the ’60s. Our mindset list might provoke one of our professors to remind us that our grandparents made

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do without modern materials like Nylon and Teflon, which didn’t exist before we were born.

Contrast that bit of pedagogy with the advice given at a Los Angeles pool party in the film of the novel The Graduate (published in 1963): “one word, Benjamin: plastics.”

In the movie, the phrase stands for the corrupt values of Benjamin’s parents’ generation; but, ironically, it also repre-sents precisely the opposite pedagogi-cal impulse from that of our imaginary professor. It’s about the world in which Benjamin will live, not the one that existed before he was born.

If graduates of 50 years ago say today that their liberal arts education was “worth it,” what they mean is that was a good preparation for life in the second half of the 20th century. They had teach-ers who gave them a strong grounding in 5,000 years of history and thought, but also assigned contemporary best sell-ers such as The Feminine Mystique, Silent Spring, and The Fire Next Time. Books like these pointed toward a world that was about to happen: a world in which the status of women changes profoundly; a world in which an environmental move-ment emerges and transforms both the popular consciousness and public policy; and a world where generational shifts around civil rights and racism are under-way. They had teachers who taught math and science in a way that prepared them to work in a computer industry that did not yet exist. Their teachers did not know what the future would be, but they man-aged to forge a curriculum that turned out to be the right preparation for the decades ahead.

The phrase “it turned out” is key.

Whether by plan or by chance, their teachers led those students to major in the 20th century.

And that, I suggest, is the “secret” of a liberal arts education: it is a transforma-tive experience that makes sense for life in a world that those who design and deliver it will not see much of, an edu-cation that makes sense for a world that has not yet happened. That is the legacy we should be preserving. At Mills today, our challenge is to figure out what it will mean to major in the 21st century.

Looking forwardThis will not be easy. There have been better times than 2014 for being in the small, liberal arts college business. Almost every factor that supported the expansion of higher education during the 20th century points in the opposite direc-tion today. There is broader demand for access, but less economic mobility to sup-port it. Federal and state governments are financially squeezed, and legislators are ill-disposed toward state support of edu-cation. Philanthropy that once supported

Dan Ryan, associate professor of sociology at Mills since 2006, focuses on the intersections of information, technology, and innovation. This essay is a revision of a talk originally presented at Reunion 2013.

PHotos By Dana DaVis

expansion and experimentation now focuses on accountability and efficiency.

Tuition-driven institutions—those, like Mills, whose operating budgets depend on the tuition paid by current students—are coming to recognize that although there are more students than ever who want and need their degrees, there simply are not enough families that can afford even steeply discounted tuitions, a fact that no amount of philanthropy or re-branding or changes in government aid will change.

As if the economic and political chal-lenges were not enough, colleges and universities have lost their monopoly on being society’s source of ideas and learn-ing to an Internet full of free lessons and courses on every subject. Technology makes coming to campus optional, and digital tools make it easy to unbundle education from its traditional format, allowing independent learners to focus on just the parts they select.

And on these choppy seas, a whole flotilla of highly motivated entrepre-neurs, and the venture capitalists who back them, are taking aim, eager to make education the next in a line of indus-tries—travel, music, bookselling, jour-nalism—that have been transformed by disruptive innovation.

The details of the so-called crisis in higher education are debatable, but whether we characterize it as problem to be solved or opportunity to be seized, the economics, demographics, and politics of higher education and the rapidly chang-

ing world around it suggest that majoring in the 21st century will be substantially different from majoring in the 20th.

What is to be done? The higher edu-cation space is awash in ideologues, bil-lionaires, and entrepreneurs who think they know. They are ready—and eager—to

remake higher education to serve their interests and philosophies. Alternatively, those of us who recognize the durable and enduring value of the small liberal arts college education can rethink and redesign it so that tomorrow’s students can, indeed, major in the 21st century.

Restructuring our foundationsThe pedagogical infrastructure of higher education—all the taken-for-granted rules, practices, structures, and tools we use that make teaching and learning pos-sible—includes things like dividing the academic calendar into semesters, terms, and modules; providing information ser-vices, from libraries to email; determining how teaching and learning are counted and proficiency measured; deciding how to deploy faculty in teams and depart-ments; conceptualizing the connections between courses; and developing the techniques we use in the classroom.

Too much of the contemporary dis-cussion about such systems is limited to debates about online vs. on-campus learn-ing, or dominated by self-promoting talk-ing heads reciting misguided mantras like “the lecture is dead” or “seat time is over.”

To design and build a liberal arts edu-cation for the 21st century, we need to reframe this conversation. We need to think like a startup and treat all of the elements of pedagogical infrastructure as our repertoire for innovation. Our goal must be a rethinking and remixing that will allow us to produce more and better

learning than ever before at a lower cost.Rethinking our pedagogical infrastruc-

ture means looking past our assump-tions and asking fundamental questions, including: Is the semester the right length of time for all courses? Are written exams effective? Do averages of test scores really

capture levels of achievement? What parts of teaching can be mediated? When are large lectures effective? What tools developed for MOOCs (massive open online courses) can be adapted to make teaching easier? How can professors shift efforts to activities with the most impact? What really makes a difference?

Our redesign needs to transcend the inertia, self-interest, and imitation that traditionally inhibit innovation in higher education. Teachers need to stand on a pedagogical infrastructure that permits them to teach more students more effec-tively with less effort. This will not be achieved by mere exhortation and it will not be achieved by just “speeding up the assembly line” by packing more students into each class and pushing them through a reduced and standardized curriculum. Real innovation is rocket science.

Reconceptualizing curriculumOne of the most vexing questions for an 18-year-old is, “What should I study?” Much of the college menu—structured by majors, minors, and general education—is the product of compromise, complacency, and nostalgia. In the face of rampant careerism and other social trends, some of us are even proud of the fact that, with the exception of a few hybrids and a handful of new fields, the list of college majors in 2014 looks pretty much like that of a half century ago. When asked about innova-tion, we point out that we allow particu-larly motivated students to “design their own major.” But when it comes to experi-mentation, that‘s about it: most liberal arts colleges outsource curricular R&D to a few enterprising sophomores.

As the adults in the room, we need to recognize that if our students are to major in the 21st century, we have to lead the way. Very few of our students will go on to become scholars or practitioners in the fields we are trained in, but all of them will live in a world we will not see much of. We need to transcend the dis-traction of what employers want this year and the seduction of protecting tradition, and focus on challenges the planet and its inhabitants will face during the rest of the century.

We need to transcend the distraction of what employers want this year and the seduction of protecting tradition, and focus on challenges the planet and its inhabitants will face during the rest of the century.

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Twenty-first century problems will likely require intellectual repertoires that to us will appear eclectic and stocks of knowledge from which remixes and mashups can be generated for situations we can barely conjure. It will no longer suffice to be an expert in single areas: the politician will require knowledge

of African history and Indian history and Asian history; a designer will need to understand chemistry and market research; the business person will need to grasp the cultural history of a region and the politics of economic development.

Our pedagogy will not meet this need to be able to speak and think fluently across fields of expertise if we restrict our-selves to changes in individual required courses or even entire majors. We need to look deep inside our disciplines to identify clusters of knowledge and skills that will be indispensable additions to the toolboxes of 21st-century innovators and problem solvers.

21st-century conversationsWe, of course, will not be any better at predicting the particulars of the future than our predecessors were, but we have the same duty to extrapolate beyond established expertise and rigorously anticipate the public conversations that will dominate their lives. We need to lay the groundwork for debates about, for example, the status of corporations as global political actors and new rela-tions among nation-states, regions, citi-zens, and migrants. We need to point our students, explicitly, to China, India, and Brazil. And Africa. We need to start con-versations about the effects of concentra-tions of wealth, information, and power. We need to instigate concern about social control and surveillance that make 20th-

century dystopian fiction appear naive. And we need to help our students extend ethical thinking into the realm of algo-rithms and literacy into the realm of com-puter code.

Finally, we need to reinvent cosmo-politanism, a concept that comes from the Greek words meaning “a citizen of

the world.” In the 20th century it might have sufficed to learn, say, Italian, study some art history, and have something to say about the space race, the arms race, and current theater.

The student who majors in the 21st century will develop a new kind of cosmo-politanism based more on Wikipedia than Britannica, where multiple viewpoints are valid and the boundary between producers and consumers of knowledge is permeable. It won’t do just to take a year of a foreign language, spend a semester abroad, and fulfill distribution requirements. Where academic literacy once sufficed, real cul-tural, technological, scientific, economic, and political literacy will be the norm. The

student will live in a world without Europe and the United States at its center, where she knows what it means that “everyone is an outsider almost everywhere.” She will need a cosmopolitan world view that equips her not just to tolerate unfamil-iar styles of thinking, but to grapple with them, understand them, compete with them, and collaborate with them.

CommencementRedesigning the liberal arts college for the 21st century won’t be done in a single semester or a single year. It is a long-term and ongoing process, but we owe it to our students to begin.

Consider the class of 2022, who will come to Mills less than five years from now. They will be the first class born in this century, a phrase that harkens back to lines from a speech delivered by John F. Kennedy a half century ago:

The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage—and unwilling to wit-ness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

How should we recruit this new genera-tion and what can we promise them? We can be modest and offer them employable skills, flexible degree paths, a curriculum based on tradition, and values based on today’s politics—or we can build an infra-structure and design a curriculum so that the women of this new generation will say at their 50th reunion—in 2072!— “We majored in the 21st century and this prepared us to thrive in it and make its history.” If we succeed, we will be able to send the class of 2022 off into the world, confident that they will do well for them-selves and, more importantly, do good for the world, paraphrasing at their com-mencement another line from that 1961 speech in a manner that captures the true meaning of majoring in the 21st century: “Ask not what a liberal arts education can do for you; ask what you, with a liberal arts education, can do for the world.” ◆

The student who majors in the 21st century will... need a cosmopolitan world view that equips her not just to tolerate unfamiliar styles of thinking, but to grapple with them, understand them, compete with them, and collaborate with them.

SoniaManrique-Stromberg(left)andSepiAghdaeeatOaklandCityHall.

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By Whitney Phaneuf, MFA ’07 • Photo by Dana Davis

Learning by doing

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SEPI AGHDAEE HAD NEVER RUN A PRESS CONFERENCE when Oakland City Councilmember and Mayor-elect Libby Schaaf asked her to do so one day last September. But by the end of the week, she’d successfully pulled together reporters and officials to address the topic of chronic absenteeism in Oakland schools. As an intern in Schaaf’s office, such challenges are part of the daily routine for Aghdaee, who is pursuing a joint master’s degree in public policy and business administration (MPP/MBA) at Mills.

While Aghdaee’s “intern” title is accurate, her duties are a far cry from the low-level tasks typically associated with such posi-tions. Prior to the internship, Aghdaee had limited exposure to the development of policy within a government office but, since starting her internship last spring, she has written a new piece of legislation that was on the November ballot. As she continues in Schaaf’s office this fall, she is assisting with items that come to the city’s Community and Economic Development Committee.

Along with Sonia Manrique-Stromberg, a 2015 master of pub-lic policy candidate, and Lillian Cuny ’11, MPP ’12, Aghdaee found that her internship with Schaaf moved her from writing policy papers to shaping actual public policy, and gained her advantages in both the classroom and job hunt.

No ordinary internshipBeing tasked with organizing a press conference was not the first time Aghdaee had plunged into uncharted waters, with a little push from Schaaf. That day she became knowledgeable about chronic absenteeism in Oakland elementary schools, a problem Schaaf countered with an initiative to reward classes that have the best attendance with a pizza party three times a year.

“What’s interesting about Libby’s office is that, from the get-go, it was expected that I would do it,” Aghdaee recalls. “Her motto is ‘You are capable and that’s why you are here.’ It pushes you to be accountable and get the job done.”

As interns in an Oakland City Councilmember’s office, Mills students help shape the city’s future—and their own

Learning by doing

Part of that accountability includes following through on projects even after the semester-long internship is technically over. Aghdaee will continue to coordinate the Great Attendance Pizza Challenge with principals of the four participating ele-mentary schools until the end of the school year.

A high level of accountability and responsibility was also true for Aghdaee’s work on Measure DD, which passed easily in the election on November 4. The measure reforms the process by which the city draws its district boundaries every 10 years, based on US census data, to ensure that each district has roughly the same amount of people represented in local elections, including city council and school board seats. Historically, the redistricting has been determined by politicians.

“The lawmakers who run for the seats draw their own lines, and Council members Schaaf and Dan Kalb said this is a conflict of interest,” says Aghdaee, who began to work on the measure last February. “It’s very important that districts are fair and don’t break up communities.”

As the first and primary project of her spring internship, Aghdaee had to determine how to bring fairness and transpar-ency to the redistricting process and make it “reflective of the geographic, racial, ethnic, and economic diversity” in Oakland. And, as she learned during her interview for the position, she would be responsible for gathering all public input, researching similar legislation, and ultimately drafting the proposed measure.

“Libby’s chief of staff, Shereda Nosakhare, told me that I would figure it out,” Aghdaee recalls.

Aghdaee started by identifying and meeting with local indi-viduals and organizations to gather expert input, and examined other approaches to solving the problem from across the coun-try. In between classes at Mills, Aghdaee spent her days at City Hall and her nights at home drafting the measure. Her work continued through the summer as Schaaf, Kalb, and the city attorney reviewed and revised the legislation.

12  M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

They settled on a plan closely modeled after the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, which determines the district maps for congressional, state assembly, state senate, and Board of Equalization districts, and the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission in Austin, Texas, which voters passed in 2012.

Measure DD will go into effect following the 2020 census, at which time any Oakland resident without political conflicts of interest can apply to serve on the 13-person Independent Redistricting Commission. Schaaf, whose district encompasses the middle slice of the city and runs just north of Mills College, says there was some debate about who should screen applicants and choose members of the commission, and that Aghdaee’s influence affected the legislation in an unexpected way.

“As part of the redistricting process, a screening panel is formed to select a pool of the best qualified residents,” Schaaf explains. “Initial suggestions included a judge and a law student, but they changed law student to graduate student because they thought Sepi was so impressive. They had her in mind as the type of person they would want to make decisions.”

Confidence in the classroom Schaaf, whose aunt went to Mills, has been a guest speaker in several public policy classes, addressing how to run a political campaign as a mother with young children and other issues fac-ing women in government office. Visiting professor Anne Moses suggested Schaaf take on department students as interns, and so far she’s had three from Mills.

“Mills has sent me the most capable, competent, dedicated, passionate workers that I ever could have dreamed of,” says Schaaf.

Schaaf held multiple internships as an undergraduate and as a law student, and those experiences inform how she manages students working in her own office today. While the internship is unpaid, she wants students to have something to show to pro-spective employers at the end of it.

“Internships should not only be about grunt work,” Schaaf says. “You want to empower interns not just to explore things, but to have ownership and to produce a real product to show at the end of their experience.”

Aghdaee admits that, at some points, it has been tough to bal-ance working for Schaaf and being in school, but believes the practical experience has given her an academic advantage. “I’m currently taking one of the toughest classes in the program and was very happy with my grade on the first assignment,” Aghdaee says. “I’m a more confident writer as a result of putting together Measure DD, and the experience from my internship gave me insights into the coursework.”

Her Mills education has also served her well at Schaaf’s office. “Mills students know how to work in teams,” Aghdaee says. “It was great to see how that works in the real world.” Aghdaee adds that Schaaf sets that tone in her approach: “Libby embodies the Mills spirit in that she wants women to succeed. The way she collaborates with people is similar to what I love about Mills—it’s not competitive.”

Gaining an edgeMills stuDents in MAny ACADeMiC DisCiPlines are securing pivotal experience and post- graduation jobs thanks to internships. For computer science major Amelia Parmidge ’14, two summer internships at Google not only led to her current position as a software engineer at the tech giant, but also changed her entire academic direction.

Parmidge entered Mills as a biochemistry and molecular biology major, to which she added an engineering practicum. that’s how she met ellen spertus (at left), a professor of computer science at Mills and research scientist at Google who has spent decades working to bring more women into computing fields. spertus encouraged Parmidge to apply for a Google internship during the summer between her sophomore and junior years. “Before i went to Mills, i didn’t have a background in Cs,” Parmidge says. “But at Google, i had a chance to see what working at a software company was like, and it helped me become a programmer.” By her junior year, Parmidge changed her major and returned to intern at Google the following summer. she was hired upon graduation. “An internship is kind of like having a 12–14 week interview,” Parmidge says.

Parmidge’s experience reflects a national trend. According to an internships.com survey—which was conducted in December 2012 and polled students, recent graduates, and human resources professionals—graduates have a seven in 10 chance of being hired by a company they interned with. in 2012, 69 percent of companies with 100 or more employees offered full-time positions to previous interns. the survey also polled employers on the factors that most influenced hiring

decisions, and two-thirds said they placed relevant work experience and interview performance above academic performance. Mills’ emphasis on internships, in tandem with academics, is keeping graduates competitive in a job market where a degree often isn’t enough.

W i n t e r 2 0 1 5 13

For Manrique-Stromberg, who interned with Schaaf during the summer after her first year in the MPP program, her Mills training helped with duties like summarizing staff reports and talking to constituents and nonprofits. “I had already done a lot of writing and researching at Mills, and I felt much more pre-pared,” Manrique-Stromberg says.

Manrique-Stromberg researched topics such as Measure FF, the hotly debated—but ultimately successful—ballot measure which raises Oakland’s minimum wage to $12.25, and prepared briefings for Schaff and her staff. “It’s pretty overwhelming to take in all the information surrounding these issues and figure out your stance,” Manrique-Stromberg says. “But it’s also exhila-rating. Libby and her staff wanted me to learn as much as pos-sible. I felt instantly welcome and part of the team.”

Manrique-Stromberg also spent a lot of time at City Hall sit-ting in on council meetings. “It was perfect for me as a general introduction to local government,” Manrique-Stromberg says. “It’s been a real advantage in school and has helped me in my Local Policymaking, Planning, and Management class because now I have a first-hand sense of the advocacy process.”

The new interviewLili Cuny, who was Schaaf’s first intern from Mills, says that she hadn’t imagined how powerful the internship experience could be. “I didn’t really understand the importance of doing intern-ships while in school,” Cuny says. “I just kind of figured that school would give me access to different jobs and that people would be impressed with my academic experience.” Luckily, Cuny’s Mills professors were impressed enough to personally recommend her to Schaaf, who helped her transition from part-time, post-graduation jobs to a full-fledged career.

Cuny was known around Mills for her love of animals and her vegan baked goods, which she shared with her classmates on test days; Schaaf had been searching for an intern to work on a possible animal rights ordinance. “Lili could not have been more perfect,” Schaaf recalls. Schaaf had met with animal rights activists who were concerned about the treatment of perform-ing circus, and other event-related, animals being brought into Oakland. With Cuny on board, they found there were no regu-lations on circuses or any other animal performing acts to take extra precautions.

“A circus would get the same special event permit as a travel-ing flower show, but there’s a lot more inherent danger for the animals,” Cuny says. “It’s an accident waiting to happen if you have no oversight. There could be property damage, people get-ting hurt, and we were also concerned with how the animals were being treated and trained, and what their quality of life was like.”

Cuny’s initial research included reading decades’ worth of US Department of Agriculture reports, and finding that some of these circus animals had been subjected to abuse many times throughout the years. “It was so sad, but what I tried to remem-ber was that we were making a change,” Cuny recalls.

Cuny interviewed the animal rights group Schaaf had met with, the former director of Oakland Animal Services, and repre-

sentatives from the East Bay SPCA, the Marin County SPCA, and the Oakland Zoo, among others—including the major circuses such as Ringling Bros. and UniverSoul.

“We didn’t want to spit in anyone’s eye, and we had to keep in mind that a lot of people like the circus. I can’t let my personal passion blind me to good policy,” Cuny says. “I really wanted to do a good job. It was absolutely my dream assignment, which was awesome, but totally scary.”

Cuny’s hard work paid off—long before she finished her proj-ect—when Schaaf’s policy analyst found out she was having twins and had to start her maternity leave ahead of schedule. Based on Cuny’s performance as an intern over the previous three months, Schaaf hired her to be her interim policy analyst, a paid position that lasted about a year.

In that time, Cuny successfully amended Oakland’s special event permit to include greater scrutiny of the treatment of ani-mals and to give the city authority to do site inspections. The new ordinance, which Cuny wrote, required changing the city’s municipal code, and took about twenty revisions before it went to the city attorney and was voted on twice by the city council in late 2013.

“Because of Lili, animals that come to Oakland have much better care than they did before,” Schaaf says. “And I will bet that Oakland will adopt a full-on ban on the use of bull hooks based on the policy report she wrote to educate the council on this issue.”

Today, Cuny is applying her skills to national health care programs in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington DC. She was selected from among 15,000 applicants to serve as Presidential Management Fellow, a prestigious two-year program that allows recent graduates with advanced degrees to work with a government agency at a civil service rank—a first step towards becoming a permanent employee. Working for Schaaf didn’t just boost her resume, she says, it gave her the confidence to apply.

“Working with Libby for a year, tackling so many different issues, and feeling proud of what I was doing was a big benefit,” Cuny says.

As for Manrique-Stromberg, who plans to work in regional and state clean energy policy after she graduates in 2015, she’s cer-tain that her internship experience in Schaaf’s office will help her in the job market. “It’s a testament to Mills. I don’t think every school encourages internships like we do here and the College has built a really strong connection with local government,” Manrique-Stromberg says. Though she doesn’t graduate until 2016, Aghdaee says she feels like she has a head start thanks to Mills and Schaaf: “It was very important that wherever I went to school had real-world contacts. Libby has been very generous in introducing me to people.”

Schaaf, who was voted in as Oakland’s new mayor in November’s election, is unequivocal about the benefits of part-nering with the College. “Without a doubt,” she says, “as I con-tinue in politics, my work will certainly include interns from Mills.” ◆

NEARLY 200 WOMEN GATHERED with their classmates for lunch on the grassy lawn behind Mills Hall, enjoy-ing the perfect September afternoon during this year’s

Reunion. Some of these women were freshly minted alumnae from the class of 2014, a few had graduated more than 70 years ago, but they were all there for the same reason: to honor this year’s Alumnae Association of Mills College award recipients.

Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk ’90, honored that day with the Distinguished Achievement Award for her work in media and entertainment, expressed a deeply shared sentiment when she

By Vanessa Marlin ’06

said that returning to the Mills campus is like coming home. “Home is the thing that connects us,” she told the crowd. Although honored to receive her award, she was quick to express that all Mills women are distinguished, whether they choose to be stay-at-home moms or high-powered lawyers. “We all know what it is to be a Mills woman,” she said. “Remember who you are and what you represent.”

AAMC President Lucy Do ’75 served as emcee for the cer-emony, which also recognized Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63 as Outstanding Volunteer and Cynthia Guevara ’04 with the Recent Graduate Award. All three winners spoke of their pride in being a Mills woman, their gratitude for a Mills education, and their lifelong connection to the Mills community.

Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk ’90 Distinguished AchievementAn Emmy and James Beard Award-winning producer who has worked in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years, Brencsons-Van Dyk began her theater career at Mills, where she minored in the subject and earned the Marion Stebbins Long Award for most promising student in the performing arts. A year after graduating, Professor of Dramatic Arts Jim Wright gave Brencsons-Van Dyk her professional push when he hired her

Meet this year’s alumnae award winners

CynthiaGuevara’04,CaliaBrencsons-VanDyk’90,AAMCPresidentLucyDo’75,PresidentAleciaDeCoudreauxandAnitaAragonKreplin’63.

Honoring their achievements

14  M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly14  M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

and alumnae. “So many of these women continue to be role models for me; I met students who energized me and made me hopeful about this world,” she commented. “I have often said to anyone who would listen, that the world would be in much bet-ter shape in the hands of the capable and compassionate leader-ship of Mills graduates.”

A teacher for 35 years, she was challenged and nourished by students at Mills College, San Francisco University High School, and Oakland High School, where she retired as an assistant prin-cipal. She is currently enjoying life with family, friends, and her new husband, Karl, whom she originally met through a Mills classmate in her sophomore year.

Cynthia Guevara ’04 Recent Graduate AwardEchoing a common theme of the day, Guevara spoke of the powerful connection Mills women have to one another. When she arrived at Mills, she explained, a group of young students “adopted” her. It was an unlikely friendship, she thought at the time, since she was a transfer student and a significantly older resumer. But the group grew to know and support each other as peers. When her friends finally walked across the stage to accept their diplomas, Guevara beamed with pride. They had gone through the same experiences—classes, study sessions, and lunches at Tea Shop—but on graduation day she felt like a “Mills Mom,” Guevara recalled with a laugh. “I was so proud of them.”

Guevara’s first Mills volunteer service began when she was still a student: in 2002, she joined the AAMC Diversity Committee (now Alumnae of Color Committee); the AAMC was so impressed with her work that she was selected to receive a Pearl M in 2004.

In the decade since, she has served on the AAMC Board of Governors, where she diligently worked on the Nominating, Finance, Resource, and Educational Outreach Committees. She has been particularly influential on several Reunion Planning Committees and as chair of the Alumnae of Color Committee. In these roles, she initiated the “Mills After Dark” Reunion revel and oversaw a number of successful events. Extending her heart for volunteerism well beyond Mills, she has also contributed her energy and efforts to the Oakland East Bay Symphony and Meals on Wheels of San Francisco.

The proud mother of two and grandmother of one, Guevara recently launched Cynthia Guevara & Associates, an events and project management venture. ◆

to direct the female version of The Odd Couple in Lisser Hall. Shortly thereafter, she moved to New York to act at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA).

She held several positions in the New York theater industry before joining the team at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia nine years ago. Since then, she rose from production coordinator to acting executive-in-charge of production and worked for mul-tiple seasons on the Emmy Award-winning Martha Stewart Show. She also has contributed to several other series in the Martha Stewart empire as well as managing production of primetime television specials, ad campaigns, and programs such as Emeril’s Table and the live finale of the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off.

A member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television Arts and Sciences, and the French American Chamber of Commerce, she has run Caliativity Communications since 2005, a consulting practice specializing in food and lifestyle tele-vision development, production, and management.

Brencsons-Van Dyk's latest creative endeavor is raising her 19-month-old son, Joseph, a collaborative effort with her husband, Joel—and both Mills men were on hand to support Calia during the reunion from the grassy perimeter of Holmgren Meadow.

Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63 Outstanding VolunteerFor more than half a century, Kreplin has relished the “magi-cal madness of Mills,” which she defines as a lifelong posses-sion of curiosity and passion for learning. It almost wasn’t so: Kreplin initially had doubts about attending a “girls’ school,” but was encouraged to enroll by her mother, Florence, whom she described as a “consummate supportive parent, resilient and loving role model, and force of nature.” Fittingly, Kreplin’s mother was in the audience to see her receive the Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Since graduation, Kreplin’s connection to the College has run deep and long. She was an instructor in the Spanish Department from 1970 to 1974 and was married to Mills professor of biology Darl Bowers for nearly 38 years. Her volunteer roles are many. Kreplin has been class agent twice and a member of the AAMC Board of Governors for three terms, serving on numerous commit-tees and holding the office of AAMC vice president and president, in which role she was a member of the College Board of Trustees.

Kreplin said that her service to the community put her in touch with innumerable “talented and inspiring” students, faculty, staff,

Millswomenofallages,shownhereandbelowleft,enjoyedthealumnaeawardsluncheonatReunion.

W i n t e r 2 0 1 5 15

class photos < reunion 2014

Toprow: Niki Janus, Priscilla Taylor, Pamela Bergmark Fichtner, Joan Rainey Day, Judy DuBois Bisgard, Ann Manuel Ditlefsen, Barbara Albert, Jane Robinson Shoemaker, Rebecca Marsh Shuttleworth, Alexandra Orgel Moses, Sandy Bazyouros

Fifthrow: Joan Selke Sallee, Barbara Schwartz Meixner, Barbara-Sue White, Anna Mae Patterson, Mary Wallon, Linda Triegel, Martha Stewart Stobbs, Sally Matthews Buchanan, Landon Scarlett, Elizabeth Titcomb Haskell

Fourthrow: Katherine Doerr, Joyce Listerman Martin, Sallie Krusen Riester, Marilyn Train Swanson, Cathlyn White Guerra, Denise Scott Fears, Ruth Royse, Sharon Polson Harris, Alice Eberhart-Wright, Megan Dwyer George

Thirdrow: Helen Peterson Brainerd, Darlene Holbrook, Linda Parker Dodge, Diana Paxson, Susan Hutchens Wisdom, Sharon Smart Neuman, Karen Wiley, Margaret Kiely Harris, Jan Lackey Knadle

Secondrow: Ellen Krosney Shockro, Patricia Ellis Severn, Patricia Collins Gabbe, Bobby Collins Ferenstein, Selma Rusch Lachman, Marilyn Van Doren Barry, Kathleen Bennion Barrett, Linda Jones Brooks, Eleanor Sims, Hannah Jopling

Frontrow: Anne Friend Thacher, Susan Oyama, Nan Dahl Fordyce, Nancy Symmes Whitaker, Julia Dolowitz Reagan, Mura Kievman, Carolyn King Terry, Carol Lockley Grieves, Ruby Kanne Ek, Martha Fuller Clark

class of 1964

16  M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

1944(At left, bottom): Marion Ross, Anne Sherwood Copenhagen

1949Toprow: Andrea Byron Earle, Dorothy Compton Kessler, Joan Gumbrecht Andrews

Frontrow: Kathleen Hall Porter, Carol Blundell Miller, Polly Royal Langsley, Margaret Clarke Umbreit

1954Toprow: Sondra Williams, Elizabeth Wills, Aletha Waite Silcox

Frontrow: Berniece Fredrickson Francis, Lynda Taves Ogren, Sandra Rietz Jones

1969Toprow: Kerstin Fraser Magary, Linda Kay Schultz, Kristen Anderson, Cheryl Ezell Buck, Linell McCurry, Barbara Bond Williams, Cindy Mitchell

Secondrow: Hallie von Ammon Strock, Laurie Leinonen, Pat King Jackson, Laurie-Sue Ptak Retts, Tricia Cooper Niederauer, Nancy Brandt Arnold, Ann Condon Barbour

Frontrow: Gretchen Garlinghouse, Lois Henry Showalter, Linda Krigel Lieberman, Marianne Mancina, Veronica Quam Martin, Berry Ponton Crowley

1974Toprow: Velma Hawkins Hawkins, Odessa Pearson Bolton, Christine Norton-Cotts, Clarice Flippin

Secondrow: Judith James, Adrienne McMichael Foster, Catheryn Smith, Linda Barton White, Lenore Tate

Frontrow: Cassandra Buckingham Curry, Momi Chang, Jacki Brown, Tori Collender, Sharon Long Carroll, Benita Sheffield Harris, Doris Walker-Phelps

1979Toprow: Amrit Work Kendrick, Alison Pieters, Leslie Fried Behar, Joy Kieschke, Pamela Sisney, Kristin Philp Kramer, Ai Gek Beh, Leigh Bacon, Leslie Decker

Secondrow: Karen Sparks, Lisa Iden Monroe, Linda Wenker, Laura Vela Austin, Kellor Mohrweiss-Smith, Madeline Clark Cahill, Gail Blackmarr, LizVarnhagen

Frontrow: Bernadette Janet, Camille Chun-Hoon, Robin Anderson, Wendy Ng, Clare LePell, Liz Engan

W i n t e r 2 0 1 5 17

1984Toprow: Amy Rieger, Susan Anderson, Lisa Borden, Michelle Adams DaRosa , Wendy Barrett Dwyer, Stefani Schatz, Cathy Dugan

Frontrow: Yvette Andrews, Carol Scott, Tracey Harpole Tillion, Carole Luna Miller, Lauren Knobel

1989Toprow: Kirsten Challman, Marla Garmire Hedlund

Secondrow: Suzanne Newman Fricke, Annie Seaton, Dana Murguia, Michelle Good Bamrah, Noelle Bruton, Debbie Self Donley

Frontrow: Julia Myers, Susan Parish, Louisa Spier, Corinne Meadows Efram, Ramona Moritz, Pamela Day

1994Toprow: Zora Daniels, Katy McCarthy, Emily Duval

Secondrow: Lee Bickerstaff Nespor, Hannah Treworgy Ekwere, Suzette Lalime Davidson, Krista Gulbransen

Frontrow: Erika Young, Jen Dempster, Heather Herrera, Julie Ehrenworth Solomon, Tracy Scott Edwards

1999 Melissa Henley, Pamela Trounstine

2004Toprow: Heather Paulson Dodge, Christine Lester, Shannon Hillier Secondrow: Nicole Loutsenhizer, Shayna Gelender, Stefanie Moreno, Cynthia Guevara, Doreen Hinton

Frontrow: Mary Rose Kaczorowski, Zehra Ahsan, Emma Panui, Leanne Olsgaard

2014Monserrat Garcia, Rose Lopez

class photos < reunion 2014

To purchase prints, go to www.luzography.com/clients/mills2014718  M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly18  M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Gwen discovered her core values at Mills.

As a student, I loved hearing the Campanil chime from my room in Mills

Hall. I also appreciated being in an environment that supported my

personal growth. I give to Mills because the College’s work aligns with

my core values, including learning, friendship, and sharing. In my will,

I included an unrestricted bequest of a percentage of my estate to Mills.

Just as the campus community counts on the bells of the Campanil

ringing, the College can continue to count on my support.

– Gwen Jackson Foster ’67

I’m leaving a legacy to make education accessible to diverse women.

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.

Including Mills in your legacy

plan ensures that your values

will be passed on in perpetuity. A

bequest allows you flexibility: it’s

up to you how much you leave,

whether it’s a specific amount, a

percentage, or a portion of what’s

left after you’ve made bequests to

loved ones. For more information,

visit www.mills.edu/pg.

061401 Mills PlannedGivingAd_#1_final.indd 1 11/5/14 6:21 PM

AlumnaeMargaretDollarPowers’33, July 25, in Scottsdale, Arizona. A longtime resident of Fargo, North Dakota, she was 102 1/2 at the time of her death. Survivors include her daughter, Sheila Powers Converse ’57, three grandchildren, and nieces Katherine Obering ’56 and Alice Pulliam ’70.

Kathryn“Kay”HeinsheimerWhiting’36, March 26, 2013, in Chatsworth, California. She achieved the rank of sergeant while serving with the Marines during World War II, was an avid boater, and enjoyed traveling. Survivors include a daughter, and two grandsons.

MaryBeckwithSmith’38, June 4, in Sisters, Oregon. She taught at Annie Wright Seminary in Tacoma, Washington,and was an energetic hiker, horsewoman, and vegetable gardener. In 2013, she was awarded for her 30 years of volunteer service at the Sisters Library. Survivors include her daughter and six grandchildren.

AdrienneFisherStenger’39, May 25, in Portland, Oregon.

ElizabethAgeeHancock’40, July 25, in Long Beach, California. She was a school teacher and Girl Scout leader. She was active in Mills student recruitment and alumnae governance, and was buried in a favorite Mills t-shirt. She is survived by her daughters, Mary Hancock Hinds’67 and Kathie Hancock Gray ’71, and four grandchildren.

FrancesFohsSohn’40, August 8, in Roseburg, Oregon. A supporter of St. Joseph Catholic Church and St. Joseph School, where she was a volunteer librarian for 33 years, she was also a benefactor to other libraries and numerous artistic, charitable, and philanthropic endeav-ors. She is survived by five sons and 11 grandchildren.

MardiBoeckKeen ’43, August 30, in Meridian, Idaho. She trained hundreds of people to lead Junior Great Books Discussion Programs in Idaho schools; served as president of the Boise Friends of the Library, Junior League Sustainers, and other organizations; and was honored as a “Distinguished Citizen” in 1978 by the Idaho Statesman. She is survived by four children and six grandchildren.

MargaretWalterClizbe’44, July 17, in Spokane, Washington. She volunteered with the Red Cross during World War II, as a fundraiser for LA Children’s Hospital, and with Meals on Wheels. She was also a member of the Bishop Guild at Saint John’s Cathedral and a golfer at the Spokane Country Club. She is survived by three children.

GraceHoferKliewer’45, August 21, in Glendale, California. She taught piano at Mills before moving to Glendale, where she taught private voice and piano lessons through the 1970s and was associate professor of music at Glendale Community College. She is survived by two sons and two grandchildren.

JoanCampbellCallahan’46, June 26, in Monrovia, California. She worked as a newspaper reporter, wrote humorous short creative pieces and children’s literature, and was nationally published. She was also active in PTA, Panhellenic, and the Cub Scouts and loved horse races. She is survived by four children and five grandchildren.

BettyJoWilsonGoff’46, August 2, 2013, in San Gabriel, California.

CharleenBurrisTate’46, August 18, in Greenville, South Carolina. She was an active member of the First Christian Church, had a 22-year career as a schoolteacher, and was a charter member of Blue Grass Garden Club. She is survived by two children and two grandchildren.

MaryRinkMead’47, August 22, in Olympia, Washington.

JacquelyneWeitzenhofferBranch’48, August 13, in Dallas, Texas. A refugee from the Nazi invasion of France, she worked at Neiman Marcus, practiced interior design for many years, and enjoyed tennis, travel, and classical music. She is survived by three children, a grandson, and two stepchildren.

NoticesofdeathreceivedbeforeSeptember30,2014

Tosubmitlistings,pleasecontactalumnae-relations@mills.eduor510.430.2123

MarylinJones’49, July 16, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was a board member for many civic and charitable groups, a founding member of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma, and received the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation Humanitarian Award. Survivors include three sons and seven grandchildren.

Marion“Muffie”PhillipsCampbell’50, August 28, in Honolulu. She served as assistant to the curator of Asian art at the Honolulu Museum of Art from 1984 to 1997. She studied Japanese language and culture, read for the blind, and attended St. Clement’s Episcopal Church. Survivors include a son.

CharlotteLeahyD’Amico’50, August 11, in Chico, California. She earned a master’s degree from Cal State University, Chico. Survivors include her daughter.

PatriciaMansbachNeisser’50, in Newport Beach, California. A theater devotee, she was an early supporter of both South Coast Repertory and the Newport Harbor Art Museum. She hosted her own cable television program in the early 1970s and was a professional travel writer for 35 years. She is survived by her husband, Carl; three sons; and four grandchildren.

SherleyMaeWhite’50, September 4, in Elon, North Carolina. She ran a gift shop on the Jersey Shore with her companion, Eloise Baynes; conducted fundraising for children’s camps; worked at the Elon University Library; and was a Reiki practitioner.

ElizabethRossDenniston’51, June 22, in Hancock, Maine. She painted portraits and scenery and published the book, The Caregivers Guide. She is survived by two children, three stepchildren, and seven grandchildren.

FrancesBarringtonRiegel’51, May 7, in Palos Verdes Estates, California. She was a founding member of the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center and regularly organized horse shows to benefit local causes. She is survived by two children and their families.

MarilynWilliams’51, May 30, in Alpharetta, Georgia. A talented actress and singer, she earned her MS in education and was a vocational counselor for displaced women at Moraine Park Technical College. She is survived by two daughters and six grandchildren.

JoanMooreHolmes’53, July 20, in Portland. A resident of Gresham, Oregon, for 42 years, she enjoyed golf, singing with the Claremont Choir, and was a hospice volunteer. She is survived by her husband, Jack; three children; and five grandchildren.

EleanorArmstrongGray’54, July 31, in Santa Rosa, California. Living at various times in Palo Alto, Salt Lake City, and the Sonoma Valley, she was always an active volunteer in her church, hospital, and arts organizations. She served the Alumni Association of Mills College and often traveled with her Mills friends. She is survived by her husband, John; three children, including Marianne Gray Johnson ’80 and Sharon Gray Taplin ’83; and nine grandchildren.

AnneSissonWarkomski’54, February 6, in Litchfield Park, Arizona. Survivors include two sons.

SheilaFlanaganPaulsen’54, August 2, in Apple Valley, Minnesota. She earned a master’s degree at the University of Illinois and worked as a librarian at the University of Minnesota and St. Paul Seminary. She was an avid iris gardener and member of the Ullr Ski Club. Survivors include her sister Moira Flanagan Harris ’55 and two children.

RobinHuntMcCorquodale’56, July 15, in South Carolina. A resident of Houston, Texas, she was a member of the Philosophical Society of Texas and published two novels, many short stories, and a book of poetry. Survivors include three sons and her partner, William Guest.

NancyFranzLangert’57, July 12, in Oakland, California. She is survived by her husband, Jules, and two children.

LaurieKeckChamberlain’59, July 18, in Riverside, California. She was an active hospital volunteer and hospice worker, a member of the Art Alliance in Riverside, and an avid painter. She is survived by her partner, Charles Lum; two children; and two grandchildren.

InMemoriam

26  M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

ReceivedJune1–August31,2014

Frances-RuthArmstrong’31 by Terry Nix Cuyler ’73

Mary“Curry”WoodinBabcock’39 by Mary Florence LeDonne ’84, MA ’88

NancyVanNormanBaer’66by Alan Baer

TimannaBennett’02 by Chavon Rosenthal ’08, MBA ’10, PMC ’12

DarlBowers,P’84, by Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63, P ’84, Patricia Yoshida Orr ’63

MarjorieBrenn,P’75 by Nancy Lembke Brenn ’75

TerryFoskettCamacho’61 by Ann Gordon Bigler ’61

MargaritaCampbell,P’70, by Nancy Meyer Neal ’70

CarolBarkstromCarney’53 by Cheryl Lekas

Earl“Budd”Cheit by Joan Lewis Danforth ’53

WillaWolcottCondon’32 by Ann Condon Barbour ’69

KerryDatel’73 by Emily Blanck ’73, P ’08

AnnaMayLeongDuncan’43 by Jane Cudlip King ’42, P ’80, Yvonne Dechant Lorvan ’78, Laurence Weber, Betty Chu Wo ’46

GeorgeThomasElliott by Jane Cudlip King ’42, P ’80

SallyKetteringEtterbeek’63 by Barbara Goldblatt Becker ’63, Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63, P ’84, Patricia Yoshida Orr ’63, Bette Krause Spagel ’63

JoyWaltkeFisher’55 by Diane Smith Janusch ’55

KristenJohnsonFluhrer’69 by Maren Anderson Culter ’69

EleanorArmstrongGray’54,P’80,P’83 by Mary Atwater, Anne Howard Stolz Family and James Howard Family, Hunsucker Goodstein PC, Delores Huyler, Lynda Taves Ogren ’54, Katie Brown Sanborn ’83

ElizabethAgeeHancock’40 by Anita Unikel ’72

GeorgeHedley by Mura Kievman ’64

HelenandGeorgeHedley by Mura Kievman ’64

F.WarrenHellman by Terry Hinkle Fairman ’68

RebeccaDavidsonKarlson’69 by Douglas Karlson

C.RodgersKines by Diane Smith Janusch ’55

MaryAnnChildersKinkead’63 by Susan Marks Craven ’’63, Sarah Landels, Nangee Warner Morrison ’63, Patricia Yoshida Orr ’63

JeanKwok’54 by Virginia Ong Gee ’51, MA ’52

ChristineLaFiaby Lisa Pena ’97, Tiffany Renee ’97

CarmelaLandes’82 by Mary Schratter Hale ’82

CharlesLarsen by Mura Kievman ’64

SandraCowanLong’61 by Judith Lamont Parent-Smith ’61

AnneWilborLunghino’48 by Madeleine Ebbesen Davis ’46

MaryAnn“Hunter”MacEachern’71 by Rosalie Calhoun ’71

FrederickMarch,P’05, by Jennifer Soloway, MFA ’05

VivianMarshall by Toni Marshall Adams-Robinson ’68

NancySearsMontgomery’67 by Alta Ronchetto Mowbray ’67

PaulaMorgan’57 by Patricia Peregrine Muller ’57

ArthurandDorothaMyers,P’61, by Dorotha Myers Bradley ’61

WinsomeNembhard,P’90, by Lois Nembhard ’90

HelenPillans by Veronica Quam Martin ’69

ElizabethPope by her nephew, Christopher Pope

DeniseWilliamsRobinson’73 by Cheryl Daniels ’73

JosephRorke,P’70, by Shawn Rorke-Davis ’70

C.Rothwell,P’67, by Isik Turan Ayberk ’64

VirginiaSevey by Kellor Mohrweiss Baker Smith ’79

AnneSherrill by Cynthia McLaughlin ’74

ElizabethSmith by Beth Frederick Allen ’59

DonaldSpagel by Barbara Goldblatt Becker ’63, Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63, P ’84, Patricia Yoshida Orr ’63

GenevieveHarlanVickery’79 by Alicia Bacon Fishel ’79

CharlesWarren,P’94, by Marielle Warren ’94

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

GailHowlandRoach’61, June 7, in Vacaville, California. A longtime resident of El Cerrito and an accomplished viola player, she worked at Bank of America and at Ticor Title Company. She is survived by three children and six grandchildren.

JackMays,MA’62, July 18, in Ferndale, California. He was recognized for his bronze sculptures and intricate colored pencil drawings of Ferndale street scenes and inaugurated Ferndale’s annual kinetic sculpture race 45 years ago. He is survived by his wife, Donna; four children; and six grandchildren.

PhyllisNelsonAmata’64, June 22, in Flagstaff, Arizona. She worked as a psychotherapist, English teacher, librarian, factory worker, school bus driver, and writer and poet. She devoted herself later in life to painting and music. She is survived by her daughter and by her sister, Elaine Nelson Moss ’61.

PatriciaHolsteinRoss’72, in March, in New York. Survivors include her husband, Richard.

WendyLeeUllman’73, August 12, in San Francisco. She was a diabetes educator, therapist, and disabled students counselor at College of Marin. She is survived by a son.

ElizabethHolzman’75, August 11, in Portland, Oregon. She worked as an animator, character designer, storyboard artist, writer, director, and producer in the animation industry, winning three Emmys for her work on Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs. She spent the last decade

teaching, painting, writing, playing music, and doing freelance film and design work. She is survived by a son and a brother.

RachelDutton’84, July 11, in Camino, California. Survivors include her husband, Robert Olds.

SuzanneCorson’95, July 31, in San Leandro, California.

SpousesandFamilyEdwardH.Collender, father of Tori Collender ’74, June 21, in San Marino, California.

MargaritaCampbell, mother of Cristina Campbell ’70, July 9, in Menlo Park, California.

GerhardUmbreit, husband of Margaret Clarke Umbreit ’49, February 14, in Prescott, Arizona.

FriendsEarlF.“Budd”Cheit, August 2, in Kensington, California. Dean emeritus of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, he was founding chairman of Cal Performances, associate director of the Carnegie Council on Higher Education, and a trustee of Mills College. He is survived by his wife, June; four children; and three grandchildren.

GiftsinMemoryof

W i n t e r 2 0 1 5 27

28  M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

greeting old friends… The “Sisters of the ’70s” gather before Convocation.

…and meeting today’s students Current dance students fielded questions during an open rehearsal.

getting up close with art The Class of ’64 art exhibition finds an appreciative audience.

invigorating conversations Students and alumnae join in a lively discussion about Sonia Sotomayor’s autobiography.

revisiting old haunts… Olney suitemates Dorothy Compton Kessler ’49 and Margaret Clarke Umbreit ’49.

…and discovering new ones Alumnae learn about native plant restoration on the banks of Leona Creek.

helpful husbands Bill Reagan and Ron Fichtner amuse themselves while their better halves are otherwise occupied.

golf carts! Julia Dolowitz Reagan ’64 enjoys a chauffeured ride.

learning mills history Jane Cudlip King ’42 leads Jane’s Stroll, a Reunion tradition in its own right.

…and ensuring the future of the college Reunioning classes raised well over a million dollars to support Mills.

Photos by Dana Davis

anD teresa tam

top 10 things we love about reunion

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 2015–2018 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, 2015, to AAMC Nominating Committee Chair Marina Simenstad ’68, MA ’11, marinaksi@gmail.com, or AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613.

Nominate the next alumna trustee

Submissions are due

January 7, 2015

St. Petersburg July 19–27, 2015 With its jewel-like cathedrals and stunning museums, St. Petersburg is a masterpiece of design and ingenuity that rivals the great capitals of Europe.

Canadian Rockies July 23–29, 2015 Revel in the opulence, history, and graceful hospitality of the resorts at Lake Louise, Jasper, and Banff. Highlights include a gondola ride up beautiful Sulphur Mountain and a cruise on pristine Maligne Lake.

China and the Yangtze River September 2–16, 2015 The famous Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City are just a few of the wonders you’ll discover in this fascinating nation. Marvel at the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi’an and cruise the Yangtze River.

Southwest Parks Sept. 25–October 5, 2015 See the breathtaking Grand Canyon and Arches National Park, explore Lake Powell and Monument Valley, and get to know the culture and tradi-tions of the Navajo people.

Photos, top: Monument Valley, Banff National Park, Arches National Park; bottom left: Monument Valley

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.

AlumnAe trAvel 2015

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