OUTSTANDING ALUMNAE
The college recognizes the 2022 distinguished honorees.
FOSTERING A COMMUNITY OF FORWARD THINKERS
New graduate programs help prepare students for success in the medical and health fields.
SPRING/SUMMER ’23
WOMEN’S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
The third annual conference showcased inclusive leadership.
Agnes Scott College’s consistently strong rankings all point back to SUMMIT
Editors: Jennifer Colter, Senior Director of Communications and Marketing, Sara Baxter
Writers: Sukainah Abid ’23, Sara Baxter, Kristian Blaich, Jennifer Colter, Josh Cornwall, Gia Hill ’24, Michelle Lacoss, Mona Tajali, Kamryn Thomas ’24, Travis Walters
Designers: Lee Thompson, Garon Hart
Mission: Agnes Scott College educates women to think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times.
© 2023 Agnes Scott College. Published for alumnae and friends twice a year by the Office of Communications and Marketing, Agnes Scott College, 141 E. College Ave., Decatur, GA 30030-3770.
The content of the magazine reflects the opinions of the writers and not the viewpoints of the college, its trustees or the administration.
Nondiscrimination policy: Agnes Scott College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age or disability in the recruitment and admission of any student. For the full policy, visit agnesscott.edu/ nondiscrimination-policy.html.
Change of address: By mail to Office of Advancement Services, Agnes Scott College, 141 E. College Ave., Decatur, GA 30030-3770; by telephone, 404.471.6472; or by email to alumnae@agnesscott.edu.
Email: info@agnesscott.edu
Website: agnesscott.edu
@agnesscottcollege
@agnesscottcollege
@agnesscott
Agnes Scott College
Every year, Agnes Scott students show us what it means to make a di erence, to reach the SUMMIT of a liberal arts education and to be #LeadingEverywhere. As we begin a new academic year, just one Scottie can be the di erence between the status quo and the extraordinary. Just one gift can strengthen the Agnes Scott experience for a worthy student.
MAKE YOUR GIFT to The Fund for Agnes Scott today at give.agnesscott.edu.
So imagine the power of every Scottie making a commitment, every year to student scholarships, faculty research, innovative programming and all that makes Agnes Scott a premier liberal arts college.
Every Scottie, Every Year is your opportunity to shape the future of Agnes Scott, no matter the size of your contribution.
Photo by Audra Melton
4 Signature
President Leocadia I. Zak reflects on the college’s milestone moments.
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Main News
Agnes Scott receives two grants to help propel the college into the future, launches a professional clothing boutique, celebrates President Leocadia I. Zak as she is named to the YWCA Academy of Achievers, names five new members to its Board of Trustees, welcomes a new executive director of sustainability and reopens its Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR) chapter.
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Focus on Leadership
Get to know Rachel Bowser, Agnes Scott’s new vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college.
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Faculty Focus
Beloved Psychology Professor Jennifer Hughes named Charles A. Dana Professor of Psychology.
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Agnes Scott Welcomes
Chicora Martin Martin joins Agnes Scott College as its vice president for student affairs and dean of students.
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Leading in Innovation
Agnes Scott is named the nation’s No. 1 Most Innovative Liberal Arts College for the fifth year in a row, and its consistently strong rankings all point back to SUMMIT.
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Outstanding Alumnae
The college celebrates 2022’s distinguished honorees.
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The Legacy of Edwina Davis ’46
This Agnes Scott alumna left a large gift to the college, benefiting students far into the future.
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Fostering a Community of Forward Thinkers
The college prepares students for success in the medical and health fields by adding more programs to its coeducational graduate and post-bacc programs.
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Showcasing Inclusive Leadership
At Agnes Scott College’s third Women’s Global Leadership Conference, students gained a global perspective on leadership.
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Remembering a Bright Light History Professor Kristian Blaich pays tribute to Hailey Lightner ’23.
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2022 Athletics Hall of Fame
Agnes Scott College showcases excellence in sports by honoring former Scotties who made a lasting impact.
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Giving Highlights
The Coca-Cola Foundation invests in the Center for Career Discovery and Professional Success, and the Fund for Agnes Scott has its best fundraising year ever.
Greetings from the Agnes Scott College campus. We reached many milestones over the past year, and it has been exciting to see the college thrive. I am honored to be part of this dynamic college along with our dedicated faculty, staff and students.
This is a special time for the Agnes Scott community as we pave a pathway to success for our Scotties. We designed curricular and co-curricular activities to provide students with a transformative education that prepares them for professional, civic and personal success.
At Agnes Scott, being transformative means embracing change and opening our doors to new opportunities. This past year, we engaged new partners and donors whose values and vision align with the college’s mission to provide a rigorous, vibrant liberal arts education grounded in global learning and leadership development. From hosting conferences that engage leaders in public health, business, science and politics to designing groundbreaking programs and curricula, we reimagined what it means to be truly innovative. And our peers took notice. U.S. News & World Report ranked us the No. 1 Most Innovative Liberal Arts College in the country for the fifth consecutive year. This national recognition does not happen by chance.
I want to thank our faculty and staff for their hard work making sure that Scotties are well prepared for whatever comes next. Our entire community is focused on creating an inclusive culture on campus. Together, we ensure that our students are prepared to claim their places in our communities, workplaces and world.
Engaging our local community is important to us—which is why we are especially proud The Princeton Review named us No. 1 in the country for Town-Gown Relations, recognizing the college’s strong relationship with its surrounding community. Our relationships with the cities of Decatur and Atlanta expanded with the creation of the Sophomore Class Atlanta Leadership Experience (SCALE). Today, every sophomore has a week-long experience with one of our 32 Metro Atlanta-based partners. We are also thrilled by the college’s Center for Sustainability’s partnership with the city of Decatur to develop a joint Climate Resilience Plan.
Last fall, Agnes Scott welcomed new leaders across campus who are integral in supporting the college’s vision. In July, Rachel Bowser, Ph.D., joined the college as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college. Chicora Martin, Ph.D., began as vice president for student affairs and dean of students in November. We welcomed Kimberly Reeves ’12 back to campus as executive director of the Center for Sustainability. You will learn more about these outstanding new colleagues in this edition.
Finally, I am excited to see the rapid growth of our graduate and post-baccalaureate programs. Another example of timely, relevant innovation, they are organized around the foundational elements of their respective fields and require internships, practicums or other meaningful fieldwork. Our approach to graduate education best equips students to engage in today’s and tomorrow’s intellectual and social challenges.
We are having an amazing year at Agnes Scott College and hope you enjoy reading about what is happening on campus.
Warmly, Leocadia I. Zak President
Over the past year, Agnes Scott College has garnered support from community partners that aligns with the college’s culture of innovation and diversity, propelling the liberal arts college forward at lightning speed. Agnes Scott has inspiring stories to tell of today’s leaders who are contributing to two of the college’s initiatives: a project that focuses on recognizing traditionally underrepresented individuals who were pivotal in the community’s development; and a program that allows first-year students to embark on scholastic trips around the world.
A $750,000 grant awarded to Agnes Scott by the Mellon Foundation will focus on the laborers, largely from underrepresented groups, who were instrumental in building the college campus and the City of Decatur. The project, “Acknowledging Our Past: Acting Now for a Transformed Future,” will allow students and faculty to partner with local organizations, conduct research on the area’s racial history, launch education programs and implement inclusive leadership training.
According to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion YvesRose Porcena, Ph.D., this project “is designed to elevate the lives of Black, Indigenous and people of color who built Agnes Scott’s campus and the city of Decatur and launch strategies to ensure the contributions of the aforementioned individuals are not erased.”
The program will also incorporate a new “Partners in Progress” section on the college’s website to highlight alliances and corporate partnerships. Underscoring the initiative is an effort to publicly recognize those individuals who built the community.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant from the Mellon Foundation,” says President Leocadia I. Zak. “This funding will further prepare our students to think deeply, engage the social challenges of their times and ultimately claim their places in a more inclusive and equitable workplace, community and world.”
The Delta Air Lines Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to the Agnes Scott College Global Journeys initiative, which allows all first-year students to take faculty-led trips across the globe to locations like Bulgaria, Paris, Jamaica, Alaska, Tuscany, and Belize. Global Journeys is just one component of SUMMIT, a fouryear comprehensive experience launched by Agnes Scott.
Zak is grateful to partner with Delta “whose mission and values align” with the college. “This generous grant from The Delta Air Lines Foundation is going to take our SUMMIT experience to even greater heights and allow us to continue providing our firstyear students with life-changing
experiences that will broaden their worldview, build confidence and position them to claim their places in our community, workplaces and world,” says Zak.
The grant was announced at the college’s annual Women’s Global Leadership Conference on Oct. 13 during a fireside chat between Delta CEO Ed Bastian and Zak about inclusive leadership.
“At Delta, we have so much appreciation for what you are doing in education and we’re big fans of the Global Journeys program,” Bastian said in his surprise announcement.
The grants from the Mellon Foundation and The Delta Air Lines Foundation illustrate the impact substantial grants can have in higher education. With these organizations’ generous contributions, Agnes Scott can launch ground-breaking initiatives that will expose students to histories, cultures and populations and help move them toward a more enlightened and inclusive future.
— By Jennifer ColterSmiles hide under masks, resumes are covered in folders, but the right attire or accessory can make all the difference to your professional presentation. When you look good, you feel good.
Lack of access to professional clothing is often the barrier between students and their journey to
professional success. Whether it’s finances or lack of exposure, factors like these defer student dreams and aspirations. This, however, was no match for a place where challenges meet innovation. The Office of Internship and Career Development noticed this gap and took action. S.O.S., officially called Styling Outstanding Scotties, provides students with access to professional clothing, mitigating any barriers to opportunities.
“Our job is to set students up for success,” says Suzannah Haasbroek ’14, career coach in the Office of Internship and Career
Development. “And part of that is making sure they look and feel professional.” Haasbroek issued a call for help, and the alumnae community answered. Soon, donations of professional clothing began piling in offices, ready to be sorted, displayed and ultimately claimed.
“S.O.S. stands on the shoulders of overwhelming support from our alumnae community,” says Haasbroek. “It was created for current students with help from former students.”
The name “Styling Outstanding Scotties” was unveiled at a class of 2023 and alumnae reception held on Sept. 15.
Models styled in donated pieces walked the runway as the class of 2023 basked in the fruits of alumnae generosity.
Career Peers will staff the boutique, assisting students in finding the perfect professional ensemble. Though the clothing is free of cost, items like suits will be available for “checkout” and will need to be returned and cleaned to ensure all students have access.
In support of the mission, Sabrina Gonzalez, from community partner Jenette Bras, provided her undergarment expertise by demonstrating and educating students on proper fitting techniques and terminology.
“Clothing the gap” means acknowledging that there is one. A gap that dares to stand in the way of aspiring professionals. A barrier that is weakened by the strong will of our community. A hurdle now overcome with the love and support of a faithful community. On behalf of the Agnes Scott student body, thank you for “clothing the gap.”
For anyone interested in “clothing the gap,” donations are greatly appreciated. Simply call or email the Office of Internship and Career Development at 404.471.5454 or hireascottie@agnesscott.edu. An appointment will be scheduled for pickup or delivery.
— By Kamryn Thomas ’24
President Leocadia I. Zak is one of four women named to the 2022 class of the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers. She was recognized last summer, along with Chloe Barzey, Atlanta office managing director, Accenture; Nicole Clifton, president, social impact and The UPS Foundation; and Nancy Quan, senior vice president and chief technology and innovation officer, The Coca-Cola Company.
The YWCA of Greater Atlanta is a 120-year-old organization with a mission to “eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, dignity and freedom for all.” Since its inception in 1984, the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers has grown to include more than 300 women who are making a difference in the Atlanta community. Past honorees have included Agnes Scott President Emerita Elizabeth Kiss, Ingrid Saunders Jones, Stephanie Blank, The Honorable Shirley Franklin, Dorothy Fuqua, Anne Cox Chambers and Coretta Scott King.
“The work we do at Agnes Scott College to empower our students to become leaders is consistent with the YWCA of Atlanta’s powerful mission,” says Zak. “I am very honored to be included not only with this year’s class but with all the other leaders who have gone before us.”
Honoring Women Achievers: from left, Sharmen Gowens, chief executive officer, YWCA of Greater Atlanta; Leocadia I. Zak, Agnes Scott president; Nicole Clifton, president, social impact and the UPS Foundation, UPS; and Chloe Barzey, office managing directorAtlanta, Accenture.
The Agnes Scott Board of Trustees welcomed five new members, whose four-year terms began July 1, 2022.
Tapaswee Chandele is global vice president of talent and development at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, where she is responsible for the company’s worldwide talent management strategy. A 20-year employee at Coca-Cola, Chandele has worked in various human resources and talent development roles. After joining the company in India, Chandele quickly rose to positions of increasing responsibility in Türkiye and South Africa before relocating to the United States. A trusted leadership coach and business adviser, Chandele actively represents the company at external forums and events on topics ranging from strategic workforce planning to leadership development. She holds an MBA in human resources and industrial relations from Symbiosis International University, and a postgraduate degree in biochemistry and clinical nutrition.
Katie Fahs is a seasoned marketing professional and the intern, fellowships and volunteer coordinator at CARE, a global organization dedicated to alleviating poverty by empowering women and girls. Fahs has also worked with Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Intuit and Children’s Healthcare of
Atlanta. She serves on the board of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and is a former board member of the Harvard Alumni Association and Wilberforce University. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from Harvard University.
Ellen Parker Gaffney ’87 serves as president of the Agnes Scott College Alumnae Association and as vice chair of the Ridgecrest Foundation board of directors. An active alumna, community volunteer and philanthropist, Gaffney has served on the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research advisory board, on the boards of Path to Shine and the Darlington School, as a Girl Scout leader, and as Service Committee chair of the Atlanta Smocking Guild. She has been on the summer central staff at Camp Crest ridge for Girls in Ridgecrest, N.C., for more than 15 years. Previously, Gaffney served as managing editor of Quilt magazine and as director, then board member, of Wonderful Days Preschool. Gaffney graduated from Agnes Scott with a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology and did graduate work at Georgia State University in school psychometry.
Sandy Gordon is vice president, human resources for Amazon’s Global Transportation and Delivery Services. In this role, Gordon collaborates across the middle and last mile portfolios of businesses to create a more inclusive and engaging workplace for Amazon employees. Beginning her professional career as a flight attendant, Gordon rose to senior vice president of domestic airport operations at Delta Air Lines before joining Amazon. Gordon is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and has served on several boards in Atlanta, including the YMCA of Metro Atlanta and Big Brothers Big Sisters. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Hampton University.
Elizabeth A. Stephenson ’84 retired following a career in the not-for-profit sector as a fundraiser and grantmaker. Stephenson specializes in relationship building between internal and external stake-holders for organizations and often assists advisory boards with restructuring policies and procedures centered on their grantmaking and fundraising functions. Stephenson has worked for The Imlay Foundation Inc., The Zeist Foundation Inc., Pace Academy, The Westminster Schools and The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. She currently serves on the boards of Mercy Care Inc. in Atlanta and Seedco Inc. in New York, and as an adviser to L’Arche Atlanta. Stephenson graduated from Agnes Scott with a bachelor’s degree in French.
Trustees ending active service on the board as of June 30 were Ronald E. Alston, Ann Glendinning ’68, Sarah W. Guthrie ’69, Douglas A. Hicks, Giselle F. Martin ’98 and Portia O. Morrison ’66. The board named Glendinning, Guthrie and Morrison trustees emerita during its meeting in May.
It is not often that one gets the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of their mentor.
But for Kimberly Reeves ’12, that is exactly what happened when she was named the college’s new executive director of the Center for Sustainability in April, succeeding Susan Kidd ’78, MAT ’07.
“To say that I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to return to Agnes Scott is only scratching the surface,” said Reeves, who began her job on July 1, 2022. “I will stand on the shoulders of an amazing and successful leader, mentor and innovator.”
A Lilburn, Ga., native, Reeves felt the strong pull back to Agnes Scott when Kidd announced her intention to retire in 2021, despite holding a prominent role leading the sustainability efforts at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
“Returning to Agnes was an opportunity to re-engage in the community that solidified my foundational values while continuing to encourage me to grow,” beamed Reeves. “It is truly surreal to work for the institution that helped shape so much of who I am.”
Following graduation, Reeves served as a sustainability fellow in the center under Kidd before enrolling in graduate school at the University of Georgia, earning a master’s degree in environmental planning and design. She eventually turned her experience with some of the most recognizable sustainability organizations — including the Environmental Protection Agency, Georgia Recycling Coalition and the Fernbank Museum — into a sustainability and climate action career at Colorado Springs in 2014.
At Agnes Scott, Reeves is tasked with furthering the mission of a center whose efforts have consistently vaulted the institution into a place recognized for its sustainable practices and climate action. Agnes Scott has been named one of the “Best Green Colleges” by The Princeton Review in the past few iterations of its Best College Rankings, including a school-best No. 16 ranking in May.
Agnes Scott’s Climate Resilience Plan (CRP) and the Green Revolving Fund, which serve as “game changers” for the college’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2037, reside atop the to-do list for Reeves. The CRP, an innovative partnership between Agnes Scott and the city of Decatur, aligns the goals and strategic initiatives for the two entities to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change through action and justice.
These initiatives reinforce the college’s ranking of No. 1 “Most Innovative” among liberal arts colleges for the fifth year in a row by U.S. News & World Report
“This type of resource sharing will allow for more innovative and collaborative solutions to create a more resilient community,” says Reeves.
— By Josh Cornwall“I am looking forward to working with these newly elected trustees as, together, we implement Pathway to Success, our new strategic plan, which focuses on providing a transformative education that prepares our students for professional success,” says President Leocadia I. Zak.Sandy Gordon Elizabeth A. (Lizanne) Stephenson ’84
With constant political upheaval in the world because of war or oppression, millions of people continue to face displacement. Most are forced to flee their homes for uncertainty in an unfamiliar land.
For many, hope awaits on the horizon with programs designed to help build a new life. Agnes Scott College has joined one of those programs, Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR), to assist in the resettlement of refugees.
While the United States does less than many other developed or underdeveloped countries in the resettlement of refugees, effective services do exist to aid those who have been displaced. Receiving refugee status is just the beginning, as these families and individuals face many hurdles upon their arrival to the United States. Atlanta, an international city, is a desirable hub for many refugees and a beacon of hope for a new life.
Agnes Scott College is stepping up to help in the settlement of recently arrived refugees to Atlanta by becoming a chapter of Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR). The organization is a radical reimagining of how campus resources and space can be used to provide housing and other forms of assistance like utilities and internet to refugees seeking resettlement, with little or no cost to the refugees themselves. ECAR chapters make themselves known to local refugee resettlement agencies, which then match them with a family.
Originally founded in 2015 by Diya Abdo, Ph.D. at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., ECAR utilizes campus accommodations (often faculty or staff homes) to provide rent-free temporary housing—usually four to six months—for refugees.
During this time, ECAR volunteers help provide a streamlined transition to permanent housing. This includes arranging free furnishings for both
their current campus and future permanent housing, stocking cabinets with culturally appropriate food items, facilitating language translation, assisting in the use of public transportation, and providing education opportunities.
In 2016, Agnes Scott College became the second campus in the nation after Guilford to open one of its homes to a refugee family through a student-run initiative supported by the administration. After the students at Agnes Scott graduated, the chapter became dormant, though it still hosted a refugee family for several years.
Students of the class of 2024 followed in the footsteps of their former peers, proposing the revival of an ECAR chapter. They worked with ECAR Central at Guilford to draft a proposal to submit to Agnes Scott administration while engaging in awareness-raising campaigns among their peers.
In a matter of weeks, their efforts prompted students to sign up as volunteers and receive training to assist with this initiative. The college administration formally accepted the student and faculty’s proposal on Oct. 22, 2022. Agnes Scott College’s ECAR chapter is now working with New American Pathways, a local resettlement agency, to be matched with a refugee family.
Many connected to the college community hope that Agnes Scott’s ECAR chapter continues its work as a conscious and effective measure to address some of the challenges caused by war, political oppression or persecution based on race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Indeed, this is a remarkable way for students to engage in the current global political climate and be the agents of change they wish to see in the world.
—Mona Tajali and Gia Hall ‘24Learn from Agnes Scott College faculty and other subject matter experts through interactive online course modules. Following each module, participants will engage in an hour-long discussion to recap course materials and practice with colleagues on how to build a more inclusive workplace.
A ten-hour certification where participants will learn and apply skills in the areas of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging:
Justice in workplace behaviors
Equity in practices
Diversity in teams
Inclusion of voices
Belonging in community
Hours
INDIVIDUAL: $950
GROUP*:
5: $4,250 (save $500)
10: $8,250 (save $1,250) *Participants
On July 1, 2022 Rachel A. Bowser joined Agnes Scott College as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, succeeding Christine Cozzens, who retired in May after 40 years at the college. Bowser came to Agnes Scott from Georgia Gwinnett College, where she worked for 10 years, most recently as associate provost for strategic initiatives and professor of English. In that position, she focused on closing equity gaps, leading retention initiatives and overseeing curricular and cocurricular interventions centered around students’ sense of belonging and professional purpose. A graduate of Grove City College, Bowser holds a doctorate from Emory University and a master’s degree from West Virginia University, both in English. The magazine team sat down with Bowser to learn more about her and her vision to lead Agnes Scott College into the future.
What attracted you to the opportunity to serve as Agnes Scott’s VP for academic affairs and dean of the college?
I am lucky to have absolute clarity on how I want to spend my time and energy: increasing access to higher education and equity of outcomes in higher education, helping women [of every identity] understand themselves as leaders and being in a beautiful environment as often as possible. To join a community that checks off all these boxes is an opportunity few get and for which I am grateful.
While at Georgia Gwinnett College, you served as associate provost for strategic initiatives. What’s an example of a strategic initiative that you led or oversaw there?
My work often involved trying to understand barriers to student success, and then providing faculty with tools to remove them. For example, I have led work that looked at student success as correlated with the number of credit hours they enrolled in and provided faculty with data and messaging to use to encourage students to
take the “best” credit load. I have examined the impact of enrolling in a learning community for students who were academically at risk for a combination of reasons and assisted faculty in developing a curriculum that is integrated within the learning community. We know the pandemic presented an immediate and acute barrier, followed by a cascade of smaller, sometimes more invisible challenges. At Georgia Gwinnett College, I worked with staff and faculty to problem-solve and offer solutions to help students be as successful as possible during that challenging and exhausting period.
How does the current device-driven world, where attention spans are shrinking, affect how college instruction is delivered?
When we talk about students and devices, especially in classroom settings, we often talk about what they are “paying” attention to. I try to think about that verb as literally as I can and to remember that the ubiquity of handheld devices has changed the attention economy. The phone in my hand makes it easy for me to spend attention wastefully, but also allows me to save attention for other uses if I can access content quickly and efficiently. Does it balance out? I don’t know.
Experiences outside the classroom are an integral part of the college’s SUMMIT curriculum. Do you see those experiences changing or growing in the years ahead?
Agnes Scott will continue to lead in connecting our students with the world around them, and the last few years have highlighted the urgency of that connection. Experiential learning of all types — internships, service learning, fieldwork — is embedded throughout our curriculum. SCALE allows students to draw a straight line from classroom learning to applied professional experience. Journeys makes the whole world an Agnes Scott classroom. We know what these experiences mean to our students, and we will continue to shape them in response to how students help us understand their value.
What makes the unique education provided by a women’s college important today?
Women of all identities encounter significant cultural obstacles in pursuit of personal and professional growth; that is true always, everywhere. Right now, many of those challenges are acute and regressive. I cannot imagine a better incubator for progress and solutions than an environment in which diverse women, trained in the liberal arts, learn to think critically, live honorably and engage the intellectual challenges of our time.
What might people be surprised to learn about you?
Of course, I don’t consider anything about myself surprising — it all makes perfect sense to me! But I can say that people often are surprised to learn that I like weak coffee and cheap beer, that I am equally comforted by baseball and poetry, and that every single time I see a sunset, I am amazed that it’s offered for free every day.
Rachel Bowser
“Agnes Scott will continue to lead in connecting our students with the world around them, and the last few years have highlighted the urgency of that connection.”
— Rachel Bowser
BY SUKAINAH ABID ’23
“I felt so honored,” says Jennifer Hughes, upon hearing the news she had received the Charles A. Dana professorship. “It was a surprise to receive such a renowned distinction, and I know I join an impressive list of recipients. It’s also nice to be recognized in this way for my work at Agnes Scott.”
Hughes has long been known by faculty and students for her love of teaching, her dedication to her students and the impressive research she’s conducted in her 25 years of working at Agnes Scott College. The Agnes Scott College Board of Trustees bestows the The Charles A. Dana professorship upon faculty who are creative teachers, engage their students, develop innovative programs and courses and produce excellent scholarship. Hughes, who says she had no idea that she was being considered returned to campus from her sabbatical with a new distinction added to her list of accomplishments. Coming from a long line of family members who were academics, Hughes says one of the best parts of receiving this distinction was giving her father the news.
“When I told him about it, he was thrilled,” says Hughes. “He said he was proud of me and the work I was doing at Agnes Scott.”
Along with recognition of the professor’s talent and hard work in their field, the Charles A. Dana professorship also comes with an annual research grant.
Both in and out of the classroom, Hughes has conducted research throughout her career and has a particular interest in the psychology of couples. Her dissertation was about the types of dual-income couples. In addition to her research on couples, she also examines the psychological and physical effects of commuting to and from work and positive psychology. She is hoping to use some of the stipend toward her current research project, which focuses on couple privilege and the social and economic advantages those in relationships may have over those who are single.
Hughes says she has been interested in psychology since high school after picking up a book in her local library one day about industrial and organizational psychology. Intrigued, she sought out colleges with this
field included in their psychology program and attended Auburn University ready to learn more about the science of the human mind. After one class in industrial and organizational psychology, Hughes discovered she had found her calling.
Hughes received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Auburn University and later earned her doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology from Kansas State University. She is in her 25th year teaching at Agnes Scott and currently teaches introductory psychology and a class on psychology of sexual behavior, a course on industrial and organizational psychology and a class to help students learn about the applied professional skills in psychology.
During her time as a professor, Hughes has coauthored dozens of published research papers with students and presented several hundred papers at research conferences; two of her papers have been published in book chapters.
Hughes received the Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award from Agnes Scott College in 2013, the Florence L. Denmark Faculty Advisor Award from Psi Chi (International Honor Society in Psychology) in 2018 and the Mentor Award from the Southeastern Psychological Association in 2014.
In addition to teaching and research, Hughes also serves as the adviser for Agnes Scott’s Psi Chi chapter, a role she has held for the past 24 years, and has served as associate editor of the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research for the past 10 years.
Hughes says some of her favorite memories from her time at Agnes Scott involve the many students that she’s taught over the years.
“I love working with students,” she says, “and I love keeping in touch with them after they graduate seeing where they end up.” One only needs to walk into her office to see how important her students are to her.
Chicora Martin, Ph.D. joined Agnes Scott College as vice president for student affairs and dean of students on Nov. 1, 2022. Martin comes to Agnes Scott after serving as vice president of student life and dean of students at Mills College in Oakland, Calif., for the past seven years.
“As dean of students, Martin will be a crucial partner in providing vision, leadership and direction to maintaining the quality and vitality of student life while serving a growing student population,” says President Leocadia I. Zak. “In all aspects of the role, Martin endeavors to work consistently from a framework of transformative learning and social justice and is committed to holistic student development, serviceoriented leadership and transparency. We are thrilled that Martin will be bringing expertise in these areas and proven leadership skills to Agnes Scott.”
A graduate of East Carolina University, Martin earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in higher education from Florida State University. A valued voice among student affairs professionals, Martin has contributed as an author and speaker to many national organizations and consulted with colleges across the country on how to navigate change and community development with individuals from diverse perspectives.
While working at the University of Oregon, Martin created the Multicultural Inclusion and Support Center
Along the wall across her desk are rows of photos of her with students from across the years.
So what’s next?
Hughes plans to continue working on her research on couple privilege as well as updating a very popular and widely cited paper she wrote with her students about inclusive demographic questions for research surveys. She is excited to continue her career at Agnes Scott knowing that she has been recognized for all her hard work and is looking forward to working with new students in the future.
for Multicultural Academic Excellence and led the university’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Education & Support Services, a nationally recognized center in policy development. At Mills College, Martin oversaw an array of functional areas, including athletics counseling and psychological services; health and wellness; residential life; global learning; career services; academic advising; student activities and leadership; accessibility/disability services; and public safety and equity, and inclusion and retention-based initiatives.
BY TRAVIS WALTERS AND DANITA KNIGHT
U.S. News & World Report recently recognized Agnes Scott College as the nation’s No. 1 most innovative liberal arts college in the United States for an unprecedented fifth year in a row. The college also maintained its No. 1 spot for first-year experiences, placed No. 3 for learning communities, rose to No. 3 for study abroad and No. 6 for senior capstone among ALL U.S. higher education institutions. Among liberal arts colleges, Agnes Scott also ranked No. 3 for best undergraduate teaching and No. 7 for social mobility.
“There are many reasons why Agnes Scott College has consistently achieved these rankings over the past several years,” says President Leocadia I. Zak. “To start, excellence is normative within our campus community. These rankings are also indicative of the academic depth and richness of our incredible faculty and the students they teach every day.”
SUMMIT, the innovative underpinning of the college’s four-year curricular and cocurricular experiences, is designed to amplify how Agnes Scott’s global orientation and leadership-based focus could redefine the liberal arts for its students and beyond. SUMMIT allows Agnes Scott students to engage in leadership seminars, academic and career labs, weeklong study abroad (Global Journeys), immersion with a local company or organization (SCALE) and courses tailored to professional interests. Accomplishing the related goals required years of planning and preparation from the faculty with support and buy-in from key stakeholders. The faculty generated academic and experiential learning ideas through systems of shared governance, market-tested them, showed data supporting their ideas, developed plans and gained leadership approval to move forward.
“To some extent, faculty were being shown an exciting new version of the college,” says Gundolf Graml, associate vice president for academic affairs dean for curriculum and strategic initiatives, professor of German. “The innovation that came as a result of SUMMIT provided us with an opportunity to ‘double down’ on students of every identity.”
At Agnes Scott, no racial or ethnic demographic is in the majority. Nearly 60 percent of the student body represents communities of color. One third identify as African American, and 14 percent Hispanic. Two of every five Agnes Scott students are Pell Granteligible, and 29 percent are first-generation college students. These demographics are aligned with the college’s broad socioeconomic diversity and record of significant social mobility.
“We are our own ‘global community,’” says Graml. “We are also an example of inclusive leadership. Our students are being prepared to claim their places in our communities, workplaces and the world.”
In 2022, Agnes Scott College sent 300 students to 16 destinations — including Paris, Alaska, Martinique, Bulgaria, Belize, Tuscany and Jamaica — as part of Global Journeys. Global Journeys begins with a course taken by every student in the first year that focuses on a specific location and topic. During “Peak Week” in the spring semester, all first-year students travel together on a faculty-led trip to the destination they have been studying.
“If you walk into a room of Agnes Scott students and want a conversation that everybody can participate in, you ask, ‘What did you do for Journeys?’ says Zak. “Every student at Agnes Scott is linked by this shared experience. It’s how students from different backgrounds, cultures or languages who would otherwise not have shared experiences find commonality, belonging and growth.”
“These rankings are indicative of the academic depth and richness of our incredible faculty and staff and the students they teach every day.”
— President Leocadia I. Zak
The innovative SUMMIT experience includes a sophomore-focused initiative, SCALE. This weeklong partnership places students in Atlanta-area businesses and nonprofit organizations to hone their leadership, collaboration and career development skills. No other college or university in America has SUMMIT or SCALE. These innovative approaches to leadership development and global learning — built into all four years of every Agnes Scott student’s experience — contribute to why college-eligible students choose to attend this college.
Agnes Scott is unique in that each student builds their academic and experiential learning components as they move through their undergraduate studies. From mentoring circles to internships to outward-facing events such as the annual Women’s Global Leadership Conference, students are provided opportunities for professional success. Digital literacy programs and Applied Career Experiences complement each students’ final years at the college and provide them with the skills needed for 21st-century careers.
“Our entire society is changing how we prepare our students,” says Graml. “Sometimes, there can be a tension between the more traditional academic elements and newer approaches. But for truly innovative colleges, the work never stops.”
Industry partners and organizations are also recognizing the transformative nature of SUMMIT, SCALE and professional success at Agnes Scott. The Delta Air Lines Foundation awarded the college a $1 million grant to support Global Journeys. Over the past five years, the college has also received the Heiskell Award for Scholars as Drivers of Innovation and the Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for Campus Internationalization.
Ultimately, Agnes Scott’s true success is achieved when students have authentically experienced a sense of community, self-awareness, global learning and leadership development; when they see the world through a larger lens and can be resilient in the face of current and future challenges. Ashley Kopczyk ’23 agrees:
“As I approach my final semester at Agnes Scott, I fully understand my journey. When I arrived on campus for the first time, I saw people who did not look like me and who had different beliefs. I went from being fearful of these unknowns to embracing them. I also expanded my thinking with my Journeys trip to Austria. Now, I am prepared to move forward and to manifest Agnes Scott’s mission to think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of our times. I am so grateful for this experience.”
Mission accomplished.
“Our students are being prepared to claim their places in our communities, workplaces and the world.”
— Gundolf Graml, associate vice president for academic affairs and dean for curriculum and strategic initiatives, professor of German
Agnes Scott College is proud to celebrate the 2022 Outstanding Alumnae Award winners. Nominated by their fellow alumnae, the distinguished recipients were recognized for their notable accomplishments that demonstrate how Scotties are truly leading everywhere.
Medicine, as well as director of Duke’s Cell and Molecular Biology graduate training program.
And in 2019, she received what those in the science field consider the highest honor: election into the National Academy of Sciences. It was the pinnacle of a long career that was sparked at Agnes Scott College, when she took her first genetics class from Harry Wistrand.
Dr. Sue Jinks-Robertson ’77
“Sue is brilliant,” says Mary Morris ’87 M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School, who worked for Sue Jinks-Robertson as a lab technician.
“I feel fortunate to have witnessed her mind at work.”
Jinks-Robertson has spent more than 30 years in the academic world, teaching and conducting research in the area of genetics. She is now a James B. Duke Distinguished Professor in the Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Department at the Duke University School of
“I took a class from him my sophomore year, and I was hooked,” Sue remembers. “I also went on the first ‘Desert Biology’ course that he also taught and those were the two scientific highlights of my time at Agnes Scott.”
Despite her many accolades, Jinks-Robertson was surprised to receive the 2022 Distinguished Outstanding Alumnae Award. “It really came out of the blue,” she says. “To be recognized and nominated by my Agnes Scott peers was very humbling, and being selected was a great honor.”
Jinks-Robertson earned her doctorate in genetics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She completed postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago, and then accepted a position at Emory University. She
worked in the biology department there for 20 years, teaching Introduction to Genetics as well as some upper-level graduate classes. Though she enjoyed teaching, it didn’t leave a lot of time for research. When she was offered a job at Duke in 2006, she jumped at the chance to focus on research.
Now, she oversees a lab where the bulk of the research is studying genome stability, namely the processes that lead to destabilization of genetic material, which can cause problems in the human body. This research has implications for cancer research, as the disease is actually caused by genome instability.
She credits her time at Agnes Scott with laying the groundwork for her successful career.
“My favorite memories are the many afternoon hours I spent in Campbell Hall going to the lab — a component required as part of all science courses — and the two Chaucer courses I took from Dr. Pepperdene,” she says. “The labs developed the critical thinking skills required for successful research, while the Chaucer courses taught me to read carefully, write precisely and communicate clearly.”
Jeanne Kaufmann ’72
To say that Jeanne Kaufmann ’72 (known to her friends as “Jeannie”) is the embodiment of service is a bold understatement. Her list of community involvement is a long one, surpassed only by her steadfast service to her alma mater.
A member of the college’s Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2013, she became an “early champion” of sustainability, including making a large gift to support environmental efforts at the college. She also served in a leadership role in The Greatness Before Us campaign, the largest comprehensive campaign in the college’s history, which raised $116 million.
Kaufmann’s service to the college began while she was a student fulfilling her work/study program by working at the college switchboard as a receptionist.
“During her senior year, she enthusiastically served as president of the Inter-Dormitory Council and served on the Board of Student Activities,” says Helen Webb Godwin ’72, who roomed with Kauffman their first year.
Kaufmann’s dedication over the years includes serving on several committees as well as hosting alumnae and fundraising events for the college.
“Jeannie is not one to boast about her service to Agnes Scott or to the community,” says Robiaun Charles, Agnes Scott’s former vice president for college advancement.
“But without question, the impact of her involvement is grand and will be long-lasting for generations of Scotties to come.”
Kaufmann earned an MBA from Rutgers University and worked as a social program analyst in the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare and as an auditor for the Internal Revenue Service. She has lived on St. Simons Island since the 1990s and was a founding member of several organizations, including the Coastal Medical Access Project, the St. Simon’s Land Trust and the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation.
“The college has been a longtime and leading beneficiary of her business acumen and philanthropic generosity,” says Valerie A. Hepburn ’83. “In addition to her many contributions to the college, Jeannie maintains a significant portfolio of volunteer and philanthropic activities in her home community. She has launched or steered almost everything good that has happened in Coastal Georgia in the last three decades.”
volunteer roles in the past 50 years is long and impressive.
“Marilyn has committed herself and her multiple talents to improving the city of Gainesville and Alachua County, Fla., and the well-being of the people who live there,” says Linda Kay McGowan ’65.
Tubb is a former board member for the University of Florida Performing Arts Center, the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society and The Girls Place, and she served on the LifeSouth Blood Centers Advisory Council and chaired the United Way Campaign for Alachua County.
Tubb is a trailblazer, becoming the first woman to be a manager at the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, where she worked as director of communications. Later, she went on to serve on the chamber’s board of directors, including two terms as chair. She was also one of the first female members of the Rotary Club of Gainesville. So, it should be no surprise that she won the “Fierce” Lifetime Achievement Award given by Business in Greater Gainesville magazine in 2018.
She has a degree in English from Agnes Scott and a master’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. She spent her career in corporate communications and public relations and still found time to volunteer in leadership positions all over the city.
Her dedication to service and social responsibility began at Agnes Scott.
Marilyn Little Tubb ’65
Marilyn Little Tubb has had quite an effect on her hometown of Gainesville, Fla. After graduating from Agnes Scott College she returned to Gainesville where she had an illustrious career, both professionally and philanthropically.
The list of her leadership and
“At Agnes Scott, I remember her volunteering when the Metropolitan Opera came to Atlanta in the spring, as well as serving on Judicial, chairing Honor Emphasis Week and playing on the field hockey team,” says Libby Malone Boggs ’65. “She had a social conscience before the rest of us understood the meaning of the term.”
Pilar Ramos-Nuñez ’12
Pilar Ramos-Nuñez, like the alumnae featured before her, is dedicated to service. Since graduating 10 years ago with a degree in psychology, she has spent that time serving her country, her community and her college.
Ramos-Nuñez joined the U.S. Air Force immediately upon completing college. She worked in the Mental Health Clinic at Fort Bragg/Pope Army Airfield as a technician helping to develop several tools and programs to assist service members who were dealing with mental health issues. After three years of service, RamosNuñez accepted a position with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, becoming an officer in 2015.
As an officer, she served as an emergency management specialist in Miami and Jacksonville, Fla., and Charleston, S.C. Her accomplishments include leading an emergency-response team responsible for the movement of people and equipment following Hurricanes Maria and Irma. She also played an integral role in the first responder team’s management of COVID-19, supervising the arrival, quarantine and disembarkation of multiple cruise ships returning to the U.S. after the outbreak of the virus.
“Pilar is the most genuine person
I know,” says Tiffany Castillo ’13. “She is caring and helpful to a fault. As is evident by her choices in different career endeavors, she strives to make a difference in the lives of all she comes in contact with, professionally or otherwise. She is dedicated and driven and thrives under pressure. Pilar is the greatest example of the mission of Agnes Scott College.”
In addition to her service with the USCG Reserve, Ramos-Nuñez worked for Agnes Scott for three years, holding various positions in alumnae relations and the Office of Development. As an employee, she also served on two committees for the Board of Trustees and attended each meeting, advocating for the needs of staff, faculty and students. She left Agnes Scott College after accepting a position as a learning innovation coach at Ed Farm, an education nonprofit that serves underprivileged and underfunded students by giving them access and exposure to innovative technology.
In her spare time, Ramos-Nuñez used her athletic skill and passion to coach elementary and high school students, including volunteering as the assistant coach for Atlanta’s Midtown High School girl’s lacrosse team.
She was humbled and honored to be chosen for the Outstanding Young Alumna Award.
“When I think of Agnes Scott alumnae, I think of individuals who are all doing great and amazing things while looking to make a positive and lasting impact on the world,” she says. “So winning this award is an amazing honor. I see it as a full-circle moment because from the moment I stepped on Agnes Scott’s campus, I knew I would be equipped to think deeply, live honorably and engage in the intellectual and social challenges of my time. I am extremely proud to have been recognized for accomplishing just that.”
BY SARA BAXTER
Edwina Davis ’46 was known for her love of education, her incredible organizational skills and her fearless nature. She was also known for driving a classic Volkswagen “Bug” around Atlanta well into her 90s. Professionally, she was recognized and revered as a top-notch science writer. Davis died Sept. 13, 2021, at the age of 94. Her legacy will live on through her gifts to the college, which include her home and its contents, as well as a generous endowment.
Over the years, Davis was a familiar sight at Agnes Scott College, often seen walking around campus holding a transistor radio to her ear or as a regular in the dining hall on “Fried Chicken Wednesdays,” wearing her signature red jumper and a straw hat.
After all, she practically lived on the campus. The house she grew up in sits on the corner of College Avenue and South Candler Street, surrounded by Agnes Scott College. Her parents purchased the house in 1910, and Davis, the youngest of three daughters, moved back into the old white house after her parents passed away.
After graduating from Agnes Scott in 1946, Davis earned a Master of Arts in English from Georgia State College (now University). She was later a Sloan-Rockefeller Fellow in the advanced science writing program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Davis began her long writing career at The Atlanta Journal, first as a reporter, then as a science editor and columnist of “Science Scope.” Later, she joined Emory University as the school’s first science editor. After her time at Emory, she moved to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she worked as a supervisor for the editorial staff for 25 years. Over the years, she received many accolades for her writing.
Davis’s house, damaged in a storm after her death, is no longer structurally sound and will be torn down. Whatever furnishings and contents the family did not want were sold by the college, including the floors, the staircase and other fixtures.
Also retrieved from her house were some Agnes Scott publications, including literary magazines from the
1940s and some alumnae reunion booklets. According to Casey Westerman, Agnes Scott’s college archivist and librarian in the McCain Library, those publications have been added to the archives’ publication collections and will be available to researchers upon request.
The biggest gift from Davis’ estate was an endowment in excess of $4 million named The Edwin and Clara Davis Family Scholarship Fund, which will be used to provide scholarships to Agnes Scott students.
“This endowment will generate approximately $160,000 a year in income,” says Jake Schrum, Agnes
Scott’s interim vice president for advancement. “It will benefit many students each year and will continue to help generations of college students in the future. It will also benefit the college, as we will not have to pull scholarship money from our operating budget.”
“It’s one of the largest scholarships ever received,” adds President Leocadia I. Zak. “It equals the impact the college had on her, and she wanted to make it possible for others to have the same Agnes Scott experience.”
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BY MICHELLE LACOSS, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE ENROLLMENTMeeting the needs of students — whether they want to further their careers or gain admittance into a medical program — has always been at the forefront of Agnes Scott College’s post-bacc programs, and now this commitment extends to graduate degrees and certificates. The college strives to offer innovative programs to help students achieve their professional goals.
In keeping with that tradition, the college added several new programs last fall — with a focus on health:
Scotties participated in the Early Assurance program that started fall 2022.
“This program is a wonderful addition to graduate studies at Agnes Scott,” says Jennifer Hughes, Charles A. Dana Professor of Psychology. “In 2021, half of our psychology graduates had an interest in a career in counseling, and they wanted to attend a graduate program that is intersectional in nature. Agnes Scott’s program is unique in that the entire program is taught
• Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Master of Arts)
• Medical Sciences Accelerated (Master of Science)
• Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Flex (Certificate)
• Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Allied Health (Certificate).
The college is currently accepting applications for these programs, as well as two new tracks within the Medical Sciences, which will be starting in 2023:
• Medical Sciences Online Accelerated (Master of Science)
• Medical Sciences Traditional (Master of Science).
As of summer 2023, the post-bacc programs will be delivered as graduate-level certificate programs.
Current Scotties receive priority consideration through the Agnes Accelerated program. With the Agnes Accelerated 4+1 Bridge program, Scotties can begin their graduate coursework during their senior year for the Medical Sciences Accelerated (in-person) or Traditional programs.
The Agnes Accelerated Early Assurance program gives Scotties the chance to apply for early admission into the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Several
from an intersectional approach. We were excited to see that several Scottie psychology alums joined the program’s first cohort last fall semester.”
Designed to meet a growing need for mental health counselors who want to understand and honor their clients’ lived experiences, the Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree leverages Agnes Scott’s mission to teach students and future graduates to “think deeply … and engage the intellectual and social challenges of [our] times.”
“When we reflect on all that has happened within recent years, we can see that people need support, and licensed mental health providers are in demand,” says Jennifer Fulling-Smith, faculty director and associate professor of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. “At Agnes Scott, our Clinical Mental Health Counseling students are trained to critically think about mental health as well as barriers to mental health. We approach core areas of counseling with intersectional frameworks so that graduates will enter the field not only as well-trained, skilled counselors but also as
counselors who can truly engage in the social challenges clients face due to the oppression they experience. This aspect sets our program and future graduates apart.”
Similarly, the Medical Sciences master’s degree is designed for students who want more advanced science classes before applying to medical programs such as medical school, dental school or a physical therapy program.
“In this program, students can meet with experienced health professions advisers, gain clinical experiences and take an MCAT prep course,” says Shoshana Katzman,
faculty director and associate professor of medical sciences. “We are also looking forward to the launch of a traditional 24-month program and an accelerated online program this year.”
Meet our new faculty and students by following graduate studies on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook. You can also learn more about these programs and other graduate offerings at agnesscott.edu/forwardthinkers.
Agnes Scott hosted its third annual Women’s Global Leadership Conference Oct. 13, 2022, boasting more than 400 attendees. The event included globally recognized speakers and discussions with renowned professionals in higher education, the corporate world and public policy.
This year’s theme, Leading Inclusively: Transformative Change Across the Globe, highlighted Agnes Scott’s comprehensive
global learning and leadership development program, SUMMIT, by featuring leaders like keynote speaker, Agnes Binagwaho, the former minister of health for Rwanda and vice chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity. She sat down with author and co-founder of TEDWomen Pat Mitchell to share her leadership experience.
“The goal was to decenter and decolonize the whole approach
by bringing in a speaker who speaks not only from a different geographical region but also from a different experience — the genocide in Rwanda. And that is very much part of our SUMMIT experience,” says, Gundolf Graml, associate vice president for academic affairs and dean for curriculum and strategic initiatives.
Agnes Scott’s SUMMIT program strives to give its students cultural and worldly perspective and includes a Global Journey’s course which examines globalization, identity and culture, imperialism and the ethics of travel. Dr. Binagwaho’s presentation underscored the need for global learning.
“In her talk, Dr. Binagwaho shed quite a critical light on the United States as a place that is not at the forefront when it comes to equitable access to health care or inclusive leadership. That it’s often a force that slows down these efforts. For our students, it’s interesting to hear that countries they might consider to be part of the developing world or the not developed world might have very progressive healthcare
infrastructure, very progressive politics, very progressive ways of communicating,” says Graml.
Paige Alexander, CEO of The Carter Center, and Vanessa Ibarra, from the mayor of Atlanta’s Office of International Affairs were also among the influential speakers at the conference.
Alexander, whose illustrious career spans over 20 years, outlined how leadership in the public, non-profit sector can exact change in domestic and international spheres.
Ibarra’s leadership has helped Atlanta fortify its relationships with international cities and attract international events such as the Smart City Expo Atlanta and the Atlanta Christkindl Market. Ibarra also supported the establishment of the Atlanta Global Studies Center, a higher education consortium of universities to build global competence and awareness.
The conference also featured panel discussions with prominent business and community leaders.
Michelle Gadsden Williams (BlackRock), Sue Lam (CocaCola) and Bentina Chisolm Terry (Georgia Power) discussed how organizations should foster
inclusivity in professional settings. The second panel discussion centered on the ways to create inclusivity from the ground up and featured Soumaya Khalife of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta, founder of Transformation Journeys Worldwide Gabrielle Claiborne and Dr. Gulshan Harjee of the Clarkston Community Health Center.
“I think in line with the college’s mission to engage social and intellectual challenges, and reflective of our students, who are first-generation, students of color, Pell Grant-eligible, the first thing we really want to communicate is that a liberal arts education provides critical thinking and communication skills essential for any leadership role. It can be onthe-ground grassroots leadership. It can be the CEO. It can be leadership spearheading change against establishment powers. It can be people joining the corporate or political establishment to effect change there,” says Graml.
The conference concluded with a fireside chat between President Leocadia I. Zak and Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, in which they discussed inclusive leadership’s
ability to foster innovation and shared enlightening stories of the impact of strategic alliances between industry and education.
“[Bastian] not only added a global corporate perspective,” says Graml, “but as a male speaker, he gave a nod to the fact that global women’s empowerment cannot just be the work of women from minority backgrounds. It takes allies and a critical self-reflection of male leaders in this process as well.”
October’s conference prompted thoughtful questions and discussions about what inclusive leadership looks like in industry and the importance of grassroots initiatives in fueling change. The theme of this year’s conference tied seamlessly with Agnes Scott College’s mission of global, inclusive learning.
“I think for our students to see this large group of women leaders at all these positions in society, almost all of them women of color, having a powerful way of talking about their experience professionally and personally was really impactful,” says Graml.
IN INDUSTRY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GRASSROOTS INITIATIVES IN FUELING CHANGE.
On Sept. 5, 2022 senior Hailey Lightner was tragically killed in a car accident. At an on-campus vigil for her, Agnes Scott College History Professor Kristian Blaich gave this tribute.
Hailey Lightner was a spectacular student, a spectacular thinker, a leader in Agnes Scott’s academic community and just a spectacular person.
I had the privilege of accompanying Hailey on part of her academic journey.
As a first-year student, Hailey was scheduled to travel to Ghana for her Journeys’ experience but the COVID-19 outbreak thwarted those plans. Always seeing the bright side, she remained enthusiastic about seeing the world and experiencing other cultures.
One of the reasons why I have always enjoyed teaching first-year students is that there is something so powerful in seeing them develop. [They] start to identify critical connections … start to question conventional wisdom … find their voice. From the first day of that Journeys class, it was clear that Hailey was special. She was already making those connections, asking those questions, using that voice.
It was wonderful to hear that Hailey wanted to continue her global learning and to serve as a Schmidt Scholar. She would have been so inspirational to the newest first-years. And it is so devastating to think about
what we have lost because she won’t be able to serve in that role.
For people in an academic community, there is pretty much nothing worse than losing a student. When that happens, you mourn the student, and you mourn the future that the student should have had, and you mourn the better future the rest of us would have had with Hailey in it.
She is the kind of student who makes me want to be a better teacher. She brought seriousness to all her academic tasks and a quiet intensity to her work.
A careful listener, she was always engaged, and when she spoke, others listened.
She suffered no fools. She didn’t let people get away with arguments that were lazy or sloppy. She didn’t let people look away from important questions or uncomfortable truths. She called out injustice. And she called others in — into conversations about inequality, about systemic racism, about what we owe each other.
She challenged the people around her to be their best selves. In that way, every day, she made all of us better.
Hailey Lightner had such an apt name. She carried a light in her, and she enlightened those around her. And now, one of our brightest lights has gone out.
But even as we grieve, we owe it to Hailey — to her promise — to keep trying to do better every day. To address racism and injustice. To right what is wrong, to fix what is broken. To take care of each other.
Agnes Scott celebrates its outstanding 2022-2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. With SUMMIT, we are leading everywhere.
Among National Liberal Arts Colleges
#1 Most Innovative School (for the fifth year in a row)
#3 Undergraduate Teaching
#7 Social Mobility
#26 Best Value
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS TO LOOK FOR
#1 First-year Experiences (for the fourth year in a row)
#3 Learning Communities
#3 Study Abroad
#6 Senior Capstone
#11 Internships/Co-ops
#12 Service Learning
#22 Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects
BY SARA BAXTER
The Agnes Scott College Department of Athletics hosted the 2022 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on Nov. 11, honoring former Scotties who made a lasting impact, from athletic accomplishment or meritorious service.
The Agnes Scott College Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 2021 to honor and pay tribute to athletes, teams, coaches and others who have made outstanding contributions to the Department of Athletics. Those selected for the Hall of Fame have used their contributions to bring recognition and distinction to Agnes Scott College.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which bans discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities, Agnes Scott created a new category of Scottie Hall of Famers: The Trailblazers.
“These are Scotties who competed in sports pre-1999 before we had an established NCAA program,” explains Markesha Henderson, Agnes Scott’s former director of athletics and physical education. “With a history of organized sports offerings dating back to 1897, Agnes Scott College was in many cases one of the few places women had access to sports before Title IX. The stories that are coming through the nomination process are simply amazing.”
Hall of Fame Class of 2022 inductees include:
Rachel Storz Parkman ’13 played tennis for Agnes Scott from 2009 to 2013 and has a 54-13 career singles record with only two conference losses in four seasons.
Coaches’ Honoree Catherine Geerlings served as head volleyball coach of multiple conference awardwinning athletes. Geerlings was the recipient of the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) Coach of the Year (2016-2017) Award and coached the 2013 volleyball team that won the GSAC Conference Championship, which is the only conference championship in the volleyball program’s history.
Administrator Honoree Gué Pardue Hudson ’68, dean of students emerita, made sports a primary part of the student experience at Agnes Scott. She navigated athletics’ membership in the NAIA and NCAA, which established a competitive intercollegiate athletic program that earned multiple conference championships and NCAA berths.
Legacy Honoree Bernie Todd Smith ’71x serves as the chair of the Athletics Advisory Board, which was formed to support the growth and strategic priorities of the intercollegiate athletics program. She has chaired the board since its inception and has championed many efforts to cultivate resources for the enhancement of athletics, including a facilities fund, the golf classic and the Athletics Hall of Fame.
Trailblazer Alice Davidson ’66 played field hockey, basketball, volleyball and tennis before formal intercollegiate competition was established. During the college’s intramural tournaments, Davidson was both the tennis singles champion as well as doubles champion with partner Judy Ahrano, and was recognized by her peers in the class of 1968 as the best athlete at the college.
The 2012 Soccer Team is the first and only Agnes Scott soccer team to win a conference championship. Coached by Joe Bergin, members included Hallie Bates ’16, Claire Cusack ’13, Kylie Flynn ’14, Vicky Freyer ’15x, Bria Harris ’16x, Anna Hernandez ’15x, Camila Hernandez ’16, Stephanie Hicks ’16, Sydney Holstad ’16, Clara Kienzle ’13, Emily Kirk ’16, Ciara Micacchione, Marisa Roecks ’12, Nikki Ruffin ’16, Maddie Shaul ’15, Dana Smith ’13, Helene Somda ’15, Janelle Sourbeer ’13, Ashley Watts ’13 and Betty Wright ’16.
The enshrinement activities included the induction ceremony and dinner on Nov. 11 and a presentation of the Hall of Fame inductees during halftime of the 2022 Agnes Scott Tip-off Classic on Nov. 12. The legacy of Agnes Scott athletics is forever enshrined in the Agnes Scott Athletics Hall of Fame. We extend our congratulations to the Hall of Fame inductees of 2022.
The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded Agnes Scott College a $1 million grant to help launch the new Center for Career Discovery and Professional Success.
To be housed in Main Hall and managed by the Office of Internship and Career Development, the center will deliver comprehensive professional support by offering career communities, team-based advising and professional readiness resources all in one place.
The center will expand the impact of Agnes Scott’s award-winning SUMMIT curricular and cocurricular experience by delivering student-focused career
support programming and access to professional opportunities for all Scotties as they progress from undergraduate education through post-baccalaureate study and/or starting their careers.
“More intentional career discovery and exploration will allow all students, especially those from first-generation backgrounds, to more confidently take advantage of the full breadth of opportunity afforded by a liberal arts education,” says President Leocadia I. Zak.
“The center will help students build professional and social capital to drive lifelong career fulfillment.”
Each year, the Agnes Scott College fund chairs raise money on behalf of The Fund for Agnes Scott. Together, the 94 fund chairs of 2021-2022 — representing 70 classes between 1953 and 2022 — sent more than 10,000 solicitations via email and letters, asking their classmates to make a gift of any amount to help make the extraordinary Agnes Scott experience possible. Their efforts paid off. They helped raise a record $2,255,611, exceeding their goal by 9 percent and contributing to the overall total for The Fund for Agnes Scott of $3,090,572 — the greatest amount raised in the college’s history.
Fund chairs are elected on Alumnae Weekend during their reunion at the same time as the other class officers. Some choose to serve for just five years, and some stay on for 10-15 years or more. At the start of each fiscal year, the fund chairs are provided with a class dollar goal and donor goal. They then send creative and competitive appeals out to their classmates. Classes in their reunion years compete to win trophies, including one for the most dollars given for The Fund for Agnes Scott.
For their 50th reunion in June 2022, the class of 1972 “swept” the trophy categories, winning the highest reunion class gift ($285,551), the highest reunion class gift to all funds ($1,227,318), the highest reunion class participation (64%) and the Fideles Award, recognizing reunion classes with the highest percentage of classmates who are Fideles Society Members (43% of the class of ’72 are members).
“Alumnae Weekend was an amazing experience for the class of ’72 as we came together to celebrate our 50th reunion,” says Betty Duncan, who served as fund chair for her class. “Although we ‘left’ 50 years ago, a sense of Scottie sisterhood clearly remains. And those deep-seated feelings of spirit, devotion and love for Agnes Scott were experienced by all of us as we proudly accepted the four reunion trophies.” Duncan credits their successful fundraising efforts to committed class members, strong leadership by class officers and fund chairs and support from Agnes Scott’s development office.
The classes of 1957, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1984, 1985, 2007 and 2016 also exceeded their fundraising goals. The class of 2013, led by fund chair Jessica
Farmer Chait, earned the Mollie Merrick Trophy for highest class gift to The Fund for Agnes Scott and highest class participation.
“Our fund chairs are vital to helping The Fund for Agnes Scott team raise critical funds for the college,” says Kalia Edmonds, director of The Fund for Agnes Scott in the Office of Development. “These gifts support every aspect of campus, including innovative educational experiences like SUMMIT, faculty research and student life and help make an extraordinary Agnes Scott education possible through student scholarships. Without question, we could not provide this level of excellence without the incredible dedication of our fund chairs and the generosity of the Agnes Scott community.”
SAVE THE DATE
May 19-21, 2023
Reunion classes ending in 3s and 8s — THIS IS YOUR YEAR!
Mark your calendars now for May 19-21, 2023, and join us on campus to celebrate your milestone reunion!
Agnes Scott College alumnae of ALL class years are invited to this annual celebration — a weekend of opportunities to connect with classmates and your alma mater.
Bookmark agnesscott.edu/alumnaeweekend to keep up with the latest details. Also, review and update your contact information in the online alumnae directory ScottieNet, at alumnae.agnesscott.edu/scottienet, to receive the latest news from Agnes Scott College, including Alumnae Weekend 2023.
AGNES SCOTT ALUMNAE WEEKEND • MAY 19-21, 2023
