Mills Quarterly spring 2011

ne w educ at io n de a n

îƒ

alumna trustee election

îƒ

favorite professors

Mills Quarterly Spring 2011 Alumnae Magazine

the

joy of

math

M I L L S

C O L L E G E

A N N U A L

F U N D

Establish

your support today.

You don’t have to wait until you’re “established.”

It’s important to Meghan McClure ’03 that patients get the healthcare they deserve.

That’s why she’s studying to become a physician.

It’s also important to Meghan to assist current Mills students.

That’s why she gives regularly to the Mills College Annual Fund.

In fact, she made her first gift just a few months after she graduated.

I

’m in my third year at the UC Davis School of Medicine. I wouldn’t be in med school if I hadn’t returned to Mills for my pre-med certificate after my BA. I was able to interact with faculty, ask questions, and visit them during office hours—just like I did as an undergraduate music major.

By giving to the College, I want to help the next generation of students. Alumnae may think they have to wait until they’re established before they give, but I think it’s important for recent graduates to get in the habit of contributing right away. You don’t have to break the bank—giving the cost of a couple of movie tickets or a tank of gas makes a difference.

Every little bit counts when everybody chips in. That’s what the Mills College Annual Fund is all about.

Join Meghan in making a difference for today’s Mills students.

Give to the Mills College Annual Fund by calling 510.430.2366, picking up the phone when a student calls you, or visiting www.mills.edu/giving.

12

14

32

Mills Quarterly

contents Spring 2011 4

Speaking with a bigger voice

President Janet L. Holmgren has championed the Mills approach to women’s education at local, national, and international levels.

8

Listen and learn by Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04

Katherine Schultz brings expertise in urban education and teacher preparation to her new role as dean of the Graduate School of Education.

10

The education effect by Linda Schmidt

Exemplary School of Education graduates are creating real change at all levels of education.

11

Virtual world, real world by Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04

As young people increasingly find a sense of community online, what are the effects on their participation in civic life? Education professor Joseph Kahne explores the question.

12

Around the world in 80 years by Sarah Stevenson, MFA ’04

Across three continents and multiple careers, the life of Lienfung Li Ho ’43 has been marked by passion, humor, and success.

14 Integrals and inspiration by Susan McCarthy Mathematicians are a rare breed—female mathematicians are rarer still. But what attracts women to math, and how is Mills cultivating those who hear the call?

Plus: Professor Zvezda Stankova

18 Alumna Trustee elections Vote for your representative on the Mills College Board of Trustees and the AAMC Board of Governors. Your ballot is on the inside back cover.

32 Sound off!

Who has been your most influential professor?

Departments

On the cover: Members of the Möbius Band, the Mills College math club. Photo by Keith Lewis.

2

Calendar

6

Mills Matters

17

Bookshelf

20

Class Notes with Notes from Near and Far: Alumnae Activities Report

29

In Memoriam

Calendar March 29  Contemporary Writers Series: M. NourbeSe Philip

Volume XCIX Number 3 (USPS 349-900)

5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free Philip’s recent poetry project, Zong! excavates the story of some 150 Africans who were murdered aboard a slave ship in 1781 so the ship’s owners could collect an insurance payout. For information, call Stephanie Young, 510.430.3130.

Spring 2011

29  Senior Thesis Exhibition

President Janet L. Holmgren

Mills College Art Museum, free; opening reception April 2, 6:00 pm Senior undergraduate students present their final thesis projects in studio art. On view through April 17. For information, see mcam. mills.edu or call 510.430.2164.

Saturday, May 14, 9:45 am, Toyon Meadow

April

• Enjoy continental breakfast and robe up to march in the Commencement procession, 8:00 am, Reinhardt Alumnae House.

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Cynthia Brandt Stover Senior Director of Communications Dawn Cunningham ’85 Managing Editor Linda Schmidt Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson Contributing Writers Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04 Susan McCarthy Sarah Stevenson, MFA ’04 Editorial Assistance Allison Marin ’12 The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly by Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California, and at additional mailing office(s). Postmaster: Send address changes to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613.

Copyright © 2011, Mills College Address correspondence to the Mills Quarterly, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity or length.

Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312 Printed on recycled paper containing 10 percent post-consumer waste.

1–2  Charming Cottages of Palo Alto 20th Annual House Tour 11:00 am–4:00 pm, Palo Alto, California, $30 per ticket (advance purchase) Houses on this year’s tour, organized by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club (PAAMCC), include a cottage near a creek and a converted infirmary. Proceeds benefit the PAAMCC Endowed Scholarship Fund. For information, see www.charmingcottages.org.

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

Join Mills alumnae and the entire campus community as President Holmgren presides over graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2011— the final time she will lead this fun and momentous event.

• Alumnae/i lunch, following Commencement.

• Alumnae Association of Mills College annual meeting, 1:30 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall, Aron Art Center.

RSVP to alumnae-relations@mills.edu

by May 10. For more information, call

2  Nurse Networking Luncheon 12:00 noon–2:30 pm, Reinhardt Alumnae House, RSVP required Connect with alumnae and current students of Mills’ Nursing Program and with nurses practicing throughout the Bay Area. RSVP to alwong@mills.edu or 510.430.3363.

2  Robert Ashley: Foreign Experiences 8:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall, $15 general, $10 seniors and non-Mills students, free with AAMC card In conjunction with the San Francisco Opera’s Ring Festival, the Mills Music Department and the Center for Contemporary Music present Foreign Experiences, sung by Sam Ashley and Jacqueline Humbert. For information, see musicnow.mills.edu.

Save the Date Reunion 2011: September 22–25 Celebrating class years ending in 1 and 6 and the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1961

2

Commencement 2011

3  San Diego Crew Classic regatta alumnae gathering 11:30 am–1:30 pm, Mission Bay, San Diego Following the heats, alumnae will enjoy lunch with the Mills crew team and their families at a tent reserved just for the group.

RSVP required to cmcgarty@mills.edu or 510.430.2123.

5  Contemporary Writers Series: Chana Bloch 5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free Recently dubbed “Best East Bay Poet” by the East Bay Express, Bloch is professor emerita of English at Mills College, where she taught for more than 30 years and directed the Creative Writing Program. For information, call Stephanie Young, 510.430.3130.

8  Center for Socially Responsible Business Third Annual Conference 8:30 am–6:30 pm, Lokey Graduate School of Business Gathering Hall, free Hear from leaders whose businesses promote a sustainable and equitable society by empowering entrepreneurs, incorporating sustainability principles, reinvigorating communities, and supporting fair trade supply chains. Speakers include Fiona Wilson, professor at Simmons School of Management, and Greg Miller,

advisor at Google.org. For full program details, call 510.420.2261 or see www.mills.edu/csrb/conference.

Celebr ate your Mill s e xperience by supporting today’s students

8–9  X Sound Festival

Honor the influence Mills College had on you by funding a $5,000 scholarship, which you may name as you wish. The entire amount of your scholarship will be awarded to one Mills student in the next academic year. When possible, the College will arrange a meeting between you and your scholarship recipient.

8:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall, free A festival of works by seniors from the Mills Music Department and Intermedia Arts Program. For more information, contact Kathleen Baumgardner at kbaumgar@mills. edu or musicnow.mills.edu.

Name a scholarship with a gift of $5,000 or more

15  Concert Series: Yasunao Tone 8:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall, $15 general, $10 seniors and non-Mills students, free with AAMC card The Center for Contemporary Music presents Yasunao Tone—Fluxus composer, manipulator of malfunctions, and champion of experimentalism—performing MP3 Deviations. For information, see musicnow. mills.edu.

18–22  Earth Week Various times/locations, Mills College campus, free Earth Week kicks off with Creek Care Day on April 16 followed by special events throughout the week. For more information, contact Christina McWhorter at cmcwhort@mills.edu or call 510.430.2230.

21–23  Dance Department Graduate Thesis Concerts 8:00 pm, Lisser Theater, $10 general, $8 seniors and non-Mills students; additional performance April 23 at 2:00 pm Graduate dance students present the culmination of their work. For details, contact 510.430.2175 or dance@mills.edu.

22  Concert Series: Robert Schwarz 8:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall, $15 general, $10 seniors and non-Mills students, free with AAMC card Schwarz performs Iberia, the masterpiece by Isaac Albéniz, in the Dewing Piano Recital. For information, see musicnow.mills.edu.

Gilena Vazquez Simons ’90 and Alondra Maciel ’11

Gilena met her scholarship recipient at Reunion.

“I enjoyed such a remarkable education at Mills, and I want to make certain that other women have the opportunity to attend the College,” says Gilena Vazquez Simons ’90. She created the Gilena Vazquez Simons Scholarship “to keep Mills a thriving, healthy institution, just like the College I knew as a student.”

During Reunion 2010, Gilena met Alondra Maciel ’11, who received the Gilena Vazquez Simons Scholarship last year. “The first thing I noticed about Gilena was her vibrant smile,” Alondra says. “I was fortunate to meet her in person because she contributed so much to my Mills education.”

Gilena recalls, “I was excited to meet Alondra! I remember how thankful I was when I received a Trustee Scholarship as a Mills student. It was much more than a scholarship—it was a vote of confidence from the College. I told Alondra that Mills has the same confidence in her too.”

To find out how you can create a named scholarship at Mills, call 510.430.2366 or email mcaf@mills.edu.

23  Oakland–Berkeley dinner and opera 6:00 pm–10:30 pm, dinner at 7:00 pm Colombo Club, 5321 Claremont Avenue, Oakland, $30 per ticket (advance purchase) Socialize over a four-course meal with live entertainment. RSVP by April 1 to Georgine O’Connor ’81 at georgineoconnor@aol.com or 510.339.3920.

May 1  MFA Thesis Exhibition Mills College Art Museum, free; opening reception April 30, 6:00 pm Featuring works by studio art graduate students, a promising group of emerging artists. On view through May 29. For information, see mcam.mills.edu or call 510.430.2164.

At Mills, for Alumnae Alumnae Relations Alumnae.mills.edu 510.430.2123 Alumnae-relations@mills.edu Career Services 510.430.2130 Alumnae Admission Representatives Joan Jaffe, Associate Dean of Admission 510.430.2135 ..........................Joanj@mills.edu

Giving to Mills www.mills.edu/giving 510.430.2366........................... mcaf@mills.edu Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) 510.430.2110 . ..........................aamc@mills.edu Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92, President ...................................... 510.430.3374 Bill White, Accountant.................. 510.430.3373 To contact the AAMC, please write to: AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613-1301 SPRING 2011

3

A look back at the tenure of President Holmgren

Mills College Trustee Margaret Wilkerson and President Janet L. Holmgren

with a bigger voice

photo by dana dav is

Speaking

In the last 20 years, Mills’ recommitment to women’s education has raised the College to the top tier of women’s colleges in the nation. President Janet L. Holmgren has been a strong and vocal advocate for advancing the interests of women in education at both single-sex and coed institutions, in this country and abroad. In January, Mills College Trustee Margaret Wilkerson interviewed Holmgren on how Mills has achieved this stature and the President’s own far-reaching influence.

Wilkerson chaired the Department of African American Studies as well as the Department of Dramatic Art and Dance at the University of California at Berkeley and served as director of Berkeley’s Center for the Study, Education, and Advancement of Women. She has been a Mills Trustee for more than a decade.

This is the last of a four-part series of conversations with President Holmgren in her final year as the head of Mills College.

4

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

Wilkerson: Just before you arrived as President in 1991,

systems—and achieving success. Stories about what our alumnae

Mills almost joined the ranks of former women’s colleges

do as result of a Mills education still seem to surprise people.

that became coeducational. Last year, Mills was named by

I’ve felt a great responsibility—one that I take very seriously—

Forbes.com as one of the top 10 women’s colleges in the

that, no matter what the forum, I speak not only as an educator,

country. What makes this college so respected in the field

but also as a leader and the President of Mills. I speak with a big-

of women’s education?

ger voice, for a larger group of people: the students and alumnae

Holmgren: First of all, Mills has always been willing to take risks—

of Mills.

both academically as well as in terms of social change and social

As a member of the Princeton Board of Trustees, how does your

development. In my tenure, Mills has capitalized on a willing-

Mills experience influence the course of that institution?

ness to engage a diverse community across all issues of race and class and sexual orientation. The College is a leader in bridging the world of academia and the world of social activism and in engaging students in real questions about real communities.

But the fundamental reason Mills is ranked so high is that we have remained committed to our mission as a liberal arts college focused on women, with full-time residential students and with outstanding graduate programs. We haven’t strayed from this mission, as some colleges have, by adding on a lot of weekend programs and part-time students to increase enrollment. We

There are areas of Princeton University that lag behind Mills; particularly its curriculum in the arts. Princeton also is still learning to understand the capacity of women and to see that supporting women’s interest in engineering, for example, will help open up the whole curriculum. In my years on their board, Princeton finally achieved an undergraduate student body comprised of 50 percent women and 50 percent men. It’s still 37 percent women at the graduate level, but I’m pushing for the university to further engage women at all levels.

have expanded programs strategically, in areas of strength. We

You’ve also disseminated the Mills model internationally.

have consistently supported our students so they can pursue

What insights does Mills provide for women and educational

focused academic and creative work. And we have developed

institutions in other countries?

our faculty in terms of both quality and diversity.

People sometimes ask me, how did you achieve this? We nurtured our faculty and encouraged them to engage in our mission. We built a consensus among the Board of Trustees, donors, and faculty to make the necessary financial investments in our core mission. It was a lot of hard work, but it’s that level of commitment that really makes us outstanding.

For the last seven years, Mills has been a part of the Women’s Education Worldwide group, which brings together leaders in women’s education from around the world. Other institutions look to us to understand how education for women works in the United States. How do women gain access to education? What is the value of women’s education, particularly in a part of the world as progressive as the United States?

What experiences, organizations, or people in your background pre-

We demonstrate that women’s colleges provide a “value-

pared you to move Mills into the respected position it now enjoys?

added” model. Women in many countries see that going to a

I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the Office of Women in Higher Education at the American Council on Education (ACE). When I was at the University of Maryland, I became interested in the way higher education is organized as well as the need for women’s studies and curricular change. I was then asked to rep-

women’s college propels you more quickly into the managerial and leadership ranks. In some places, like Korea, women’s education is thriving. In other places—like the Middle East, where there are so many barriers—we provide an example of how to break down barriers.

resent a state-wide commission for the National Identification

What are the most important issues to bear in mind that will

Program—a program ACE instituted in 1977 to identify and sup-

keep Mills on the leading edge of women’s education?

port talented women in advancing to policy-making levels of administration. I got to know leaders in the Office of Women in Higher Education as well as women in other universities, other organizations, and in government. I learned to use those external resources to put pressure on the flagship campus to make curricular changes on behalf of women. Through the power of that network, I became effective in making real change institutionally.

What lessons have you learned from Mills and how do you communicate those lessons?

The most fundamental lesson is, “Women matter.” And that is sometimes very hard for the world to absorb. Women are still struggling to have their voices heard in many leadership circles, particularly in business. Another lesson is that the women who go to Mills are brilliant and ambitious. They are challenging

One of the issues is economics: we have to continue to do a very thoughtful balancing of access for students and investment in the quality of a Mills education. We need to continue fundraising and to partner with donors and organizations to maintain access and quality.

A second issue has to do with creating every possible opportunity for success for our students. We need to ensure that every single student has the financial means and the academic support to complete her degree—and to move on to graduate and advanced education.

Finally, we need to maintain and always enhance the quality of our faculty, because that is the core of any academic institution. We want extraordinary, cutting-edge teaching, research, and creativity. I think Mills has always had that, and we need to remain competitive into the future.

SPRING 2011

5

Mills Matters Introducing the next president of Mills College A Message from the Mills College Board of Trustees We are pleased to announce that Alecia A. DeCoudreaux has been selected to serve as the 13th president in the College’s 159-year history.

She will assume leadership of Mills on July 1, 2011.

Ms. DeCoudreaux was selected by a 15-member Presidential Search Committee (see below) from a field of candidates representing a diversity of backgrounds and accomplishments in a comprehensive national search. She brings a unique mix of leadership experience, passion for women’s education and the liberal arts, talent for strategic thinking, and success in fundraising—qualities that will be invaluable to the future growth and success of Mills College.

President-elect DeCoudreaux is herself

s te ve babul jak

Alecia DeCoudreaux meets campus community members following the announcement that she will become president of the College on July 1.

her three-decade career at Eli Lilly and Company, one of Fortune magazine’s

value diversity among its employees.

Meanwhile, Ms. DeCoudreaux has

an alumna and an experienced leader

“Global Top Companies for Leaders.” She

demonstrated a commitment to serve the

of a women’s college. She received a

is currently vice president and deputy

communities in which she has lived and

bachelor of arts degree in English and

general counsel at Lilly. She launched

worked. She has served most recently as

political science from Wellesley College

her legal career with a doctor of laws

a member of the United Way of Central

in 1976 and, since 2007, has served as

degree from the Indiana University

Indiana Women’s Initiative; a member

chair of its board of trustees (she will

School of Law at Bloomington in 1978,

of the Economic Club of Indiana Board

step down from this role prior to begin-

followed by employment as an attorney

of Governors; a board member of The

ning her tenure at Mills). She has been a

at Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro in San

Mind Trust; honorary director of Indiana

trustee of Wellesley since 2002 and has

Francisco. She joined Lilly as an attorney

University Foundation; and an emeritus

also served as a director of the Wellesley

in 1980 and since then has directed

board member of the Indiana University

College Alumnae Association.

the company’s community relations,

School of Law at Bloomington Board of

government relations, medical research

Visitors, the Women’s Fund of Central

for managing large, diverse teams and

administration, and research planning

Indiana, and Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.

engaging in strategic planning in a

and scientific administration. She has

We are enthusiastic, too, about our

complex, changing environment through

played a major role in guiding Lilly to

president-elect’s reputation as a strong

Ms. DeCoudreaux honed her talent

The 10-month national search that resulted in the appointment of Alecia A. DeCoudreaux as the next president of Mills College was conducted by a Presidential Search Committee composed of alumnae, students, faculty, staff, and Trustees. The committee, with members of its support team, is pictured at left on the last day of deliberations. Standing, from left: Trustee James Fowler; Trustee Margaret Wilkerson; Trustee Thomas Ehrlich; Ilene H. Nagel of the search firm Russell Reynolds Associates; Trustee Wendy Hull Brody ’68, chair of the committee; Vice President for Operations Renée Jadushlever, who staffed the committee; graduate student Jennifer Lin ’11; Trustee Gordon Chong; Trustee Alexandra Widmann Rinde ’08; Trustee Barbara Ahmajan Wolfe ’65; Professor Ajuan Mance; undergraduate student Marjan Soleimanieh ’11. Seated: Trustee and AAMC President Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92; Professor Mary-Ann Milford-Lutzker; Chair of the Board of Trustees Kathleen Burke; Mills staff Dawn Cunningham ’85; and Professor Dan Ryan.

6

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

Jak ub Mosur

Kathy Walkup rests during the installation of the exhibition. Inset: Don’t Bug the Waitress, by Susan Baker, one of the artists’ books on display.

mentor and role model. Like many of our students at Mills, DeCoudreaux comes from a family with recent immigrant roots—her grandmother immigrated from Cape Verde—and she has used her education and intelligence not only to achieve successes for herself, but also to make a better world for those she has served through her volunteer activities.

President-elect DeCoudreaux will build on the 20-year legacy of success of current President Janet L. Holmgren.

Walkup curates national book arts exhibition

We are deeply thankful to President

Professor of Book Art Kathleen Walkup has curated Hand, Voice, and Vision: Artists’

Holmgren for giving us the foundation

Books from Women’s Studio Workshop, a retrospective featuring works by some of the

on which to build a strong future.

most influential contemporary book artists in America. Walkup also edited the accom-

The support of Mills alumnae and

panying catalogue. The exhibition opened in New York City in December, is currently

friends will be essential to the success

on view in Portland, Maine, and will travel to locations around the country over the

of our next president. You will have

next two years.

many opportunities to learn more about

Walkup selected the 40 works in this comprehensive exhibition to illustrate three

Ms. DeCoudreaux and meet her per-

distinct facets of the book program at Women’s Studio Workshop (WSW). “By ‘hand,’

sonally after she takes office on July 1;

I was focusing on the idea that the women of the Women’s Studio Workshop are

interview videos and additional infor-

makers—the founders wanted to make art,” she says. “For ‘voice,’ I wanted to explore

mation are available at www.mills.edu.

not just women’s voices, but the diversity of women’s voices.” Other works on display

We are confident that you will find her

explore the visionary nature of artwork that forges new directions in the medium of

to be an inspiring partner in our shared

book arts.

work of advancing Mills’ mission.

Sincerely, Kathleen J. Burke Chair, Board of Trustees of Mills College Wendy Hull Brody ’68 Trustee and Chair, Presidential Search Committee

The Women’s Studio Workshop, located in Rosendale, New York, provides studio facilities and technical expertise to produce limited-edition artists’ books. Nearly 200 artists have participated since the workshop was established in 1974.

A fully illustrated catalogue is available with essays by Walkup, artists, teachers, and others on the topic of artists’ books and WSW’s role in the field, as well as interviews with the four founders. More about the exhibition, catalogue, and related events can be found at www.handvoicevision.com.

The mayor speaks Newly elected Oakland mayor Jean Quan took the stage at Mills on January 24 to thank some of the constituents who voted her into office and to outline her hopes for the city’s future. Education, jobs, and community organizing are among her top priorities, and she called on the Mills community to be an active partner in achieving those goals—including her aim to recruit some 2,000 mentors for the city’s youth.

Quan, a longtime city councilmember for the Laurel District, sees improving education as a vital component in fighting the city’s pressing problems. Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren has been named as a member of Quan’s transition advisory committee as an expert in K–12 and higher education. The two worked together previously on the Oakland Education Cabinet, a group initially organized in 1996 that included members of the school board, city council, PTA, faith groups, nonprofit policy organizations, and higher education institutions to improve educational systems and community involvement throughout the Oakland schools.

SPRING 2011

7

Listen and learn The new dean of the School of Education shares insights from urban classrooms

By Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04

L

ong before she arrived at Mills, Katherine Schultz looked to the College for ideas about education, leadership, and gender.

Schultz, who joined Mills in September as the new dean of the School of Education, used the College’s famed 1990 Strike, in which students successfully rallied to reverse the Mills administration’s decision to admit undergraduate men, as a crucial teaching point in her class on gender and education at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

The implications of gender bias in educa-

means to be a woman dean and how I can

tion resonate with Schultz’ own experience.

provide opportunities and conditions for

As a student in one of the first waves

others to thrive and grow.”

of female undergraduates to enter Yale after that university went coed in 1969, Schultz noted how she and her female peers struggled. “The men I knew at Yale

elor’s degree in environmental education from Yale, she earned a PhD in educa-

because there were so few role models,”

tion from the University of Pennsylvania.

she says.

She

taught

elementary

science

in

In fact, Mills’ commitment to women’s

Philadelphia area schools and was a prin-

education is one main reason she joined

cipal at a Quaker school in Lansdowne,

the faculty. Now, Schultz says, being a

Pennsylvania—experiences that led to

part of the Mills community has both

her ongoing study of conditions in urban

reinforced and expanded her philoso-

schools.

“I became interested in figuring out

“The College provides access for many

how we teach in urban settings—particu-

kinds of students who haven’t tradition-

larly with teachers who come from white,

ally had access to higher education,” she

middle-class backgrounds—and how we

says. “The way we think about diversity

cross those lines of race and class and

at Mills encompasses equity and access in

age.”

It isn’t easy. New teachers, especially

Providing such access is especially cru-

in urban settings, face overcrowding,

cial in the School of Education. Expanding

poverty, language barriers, and other

the pool of students who are preparing to

complex social, cultural, and economic

teach, says Schultz, broadens the range of

dynamics that can overwhelm even the

viewpoints in the classroom and provides

most experienced educator. Giving new

role models for the diverse students in

teachers the resources and support they

today’s classrooms.

need is key when it comes to ensuring

Schultz takes her own role as a mentor seriously. “I often think about what it M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

room practice. After receiving her bach-

riences, while the women lost confidence

very broad ways.”

8

chultz’ expertise in diversity and

access has deep roots in her class-

all gained confidence through their expe-

phies about access and education.

Katherine Schultz

S

photo by S te v e Babul jak

job satisfaction, Schultz says.

Whatever the city, she adds, low-per-

forming, high-poverty schools are usually

ing; combating racism and gender bias in

Though there may be a perception that

characterized by a high teacher turnover

the classroom; and teacher preparation

students are a rowdy, noisy bunch, most

rate, and the correlation between teacher

and mentoring. She has authored or co-

classrooms are actually comprised of chil-

retention and improved student perfor-

authored some 20 refereed journal arti-

dren with varying approaches to learn-

mance is well documented. “The research

cles, three books, and dozens of papers.

ing—and it’s the quieter students who are

is clear,” Schultz says. “After about five

Her decidedly feminist stance embraces

often overlooked in the hustle and bustle

years, a teacher hits her stride in under-

education as a powerful tool for pro-

of a typical classroom, she says.

standing how to teach—so the longer we can support teachers to stay in a school the stronger teachers we’ll have.”

Students are

silent for different reasons.

Teachers can look at silence as a whole

I

n fact , it was the possibilities inher-

ent in the Mills School of Education’s

to help their understanding of a classroom

ongoing partnerships with East Bay

and classroom interaction.

schools that helped lure Schultz from her life in Philadelphia, where she had spent the last 12 years teaching at University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of

moting social justice—a basic tenet that

“Students are silent for different rea-

Education. Schultz was also director of

is reflected in the School of Education’s

sons,” Schultz says. “Teachers can look

Penn’s Center for Collaborative Research

guiding principles, which state that

at silence as a whole to help their under-

and Practice in Teacher Education, which

teaching is a political act.

standing of a classroom and classroom

brings together teachers, teacher edu-

“Kathy’s interest and values match

cators, researchers, policy makers, and

those

of

Mills

and

the

School

of

activists to reinvigorate policy and prac-

Education,” says Mills Provost and Dean

tice for teacher education locally, nation-

of the Faculty Sandra Greer. “We antici-

ally, and globally.

interaction.”

A

s

Schultz

moves

as

forward

leader of the School of Education,

pate new energy and new ideas, and a

her philosophy of silence will augment

“The opportunity to focus on educa-

continuation of Mills’ academic excel-

the already outstanding scholarship in

tion with schools in the surrounding

lence coupled with community engage-

teacher education at Mills. She looks

areas is another of the things that drew

ment and service.”

ahead to strengthening the existing part-

me to Mills,” Schultz says. Many classes

“The idea of teaching as a reflective,

nerships with Oakland public schools and

in the three graduate study programs at

principled practice is central to our mis-

to collaborating with faculty throughout

the School of Education—Early Childhood

sion at Mills—and also our distinctive-

the school.

Education,

and

ness,” adds Schultz. “The program here

Educational Leadership—offer field-based

is urban-focused, inquiry-oriented, and

together,” says Schultz. “My goal is to

components that place Mills student-

built on the principles of social justice.”

gather various research programs and

Teacher

Preparation,

teachers in local classrooms. Mills also has begun to cultivate a closer relationship with officials in the Oakland Unified School District. But the partnerships, she points out, are hardly a one-way street.

Y

“It’s

all

about

our

ideas

coming

fund additional projects that address crit-

et one of Schultz’ core educational

ical educational issues.” She’s also clear

philosophies is rooted in a simple,

about her goal of providing the best pos-

overlooked classroom resource:

sible preparation for the next generation

Silence.

of teachers—and the best possible educa-

“It’s not simply that we want to bring

“It’s about listening and recognizing

tion for their students.

our ‘experts’ to the schools and use them

who students are in the classroom,” says

Although the Oakland schools where

as a laboratory; we want to build collab-

Schultz, who has written two books on

Mills student teachers do their fieldwork

orative partnerships where we can share

the subject, Listening, a Framework for

are “a very challenging place to work,”

resources and work together towards a

Teaching Across Differences and Rethinking

Schultz says the Mills curriculum and

vision of educating all children,” says

Classroom Participation: Listening to Silent

ongoing professional development pro-

Schultz.

Voices. Her concept is built on four funda-

gram go a long way to helping a teacher

mentals: listening to individual students,

feel supported—an important foundation

chultz has conducted extensive

taking note of the rhythm and balance of

in building their long-term success.

S

research on topics as wide-ranging as

a classroom, tuning in to students’ lives

“A teacher’s own education doesn’t

effective literacy learning at elementary,

outside the classroom, and, finally, being

end when they’re done taking courses,”

high school, and adult levels; the educa-

aware of silence—“what is said and what

Schultz says. “When teachers go into the

tional uses of storytelling and fiction writ-

isn’t said.”

classroom, they’re continuing to learn.”

SPRING 2011

9

the

education effect

T

By Linda Schmidt

he true measure of the School of Education’s success is in the

lasting change being created by its graduates: from primary school through college, at the front of their classrooms or behind the scenes in administration. Each of these graduates shows the difference one person can make—and how skills learned at Mills are improving education for many.

Regina Stanback Stroud

When Alberto Nodal, MA ’08, stumbled into

Nodal builds relationships with parents

even established the Stanback Stroud

a job as a kindergarten classroom aide,

to make them partners in education. He

Diversity Award in her honor to recognize

his career plans suddenly came clear. “I was

creates meaningful learning opportuni-

community college faculty members pro-

like, ‘Wow, this is what I want to do,’” he

ties, in which kids actively puzzle out

moting the success of the diverse student

recalls. When he decided to pursue a teach-

answers to arrive at their own under-

population.

ing credential, the Mills education program

standings of things. And, he says, “I try to

“I was very interested in working on a

offered the same sense of certainty.

instill a sense of respect in my students.

terminal degree,” says Stroud, who knew

Respect each other, respect this world.”

a doctorate would give her the knowl-

Nodal now teaches at Colonial Acres Elementary in San Lorenzo, which is in

“Teachers often isolate themselves in

edge and skills to continue to the next

its fourth year of an academic improve-

their classroom,” he notes. “You need the

professional level. “Mills offered that

ment program. He is adamant about the

support of others—and Mills gives you

opportunity with a real commitment to

a network.” Since graduation, Nodal has

social justice. The school is a wonderful

participated in the Mills Teacher Scholars

enclave of authenticity around educa-

Program, which allows working teach-

tional leadership,” she says.

ers to investigate a pedagogical topic within their classroom. He is presenting

And what, exactly, is educational leadership?

results of his inquiry studying the aca-

“For me, it’s about using my position to

demic success of his bilingual students

move the institution or organization in a

at the California Association for Bilingual

direction that upsets the status quo,” says

Education conference in March.

Stanback Stroud, who was named presi-

“I feel like I’m making a difference in the community where I work,” says

dent of Skyline College in November. “I call this idea ‘leading to transgress.’”

Nodal. “As a Latino male, I can be a role

Stanback Stroud sees herself as an

model to these kids. Although some days

advocate for those who may benefit most

Alberto Nodal

are hard, I go home happy that I’m there.”

from education. She argued against a

need to provide his students with a broad

ttttttttttttttt

recent proposal to eliminate English language development classes in the community college system, pointing out the

education, despite the mandate to focus on preparing students for standardized

Regina Stanback Stroud, MA ’08, EdD ’09,

significant effect this would have on a

achievement tests. “Teachers are torn

already had an impressive career in higher

large segment of students.

between knowing what’s right and good

education before she ever set foot on the

“You have to recognize the implica-

for children and meeting the demands

Mills campus. With more than 20 years of

tions of policies,” she says, “as well as

that come from the district or the state or

experience in community college teaching

the implications of all the assumptions

the federal level,” he says. “But I incorpo-

and administration, she had served as pres-

within an institution.”

rate art, dance, and drama wherever I can.

ident of the Academic Senate for California

“Leadership is about having a con-

Learning should be fun, and I do try to

Community Colleges (ASCCC) and as vice

sciousness,” she continues. “I want to do

integrate things—if it’s art, it’s also math

president at Skyline Community College

my part, to be a part of necessary change.”

or reading or social studies.”

in San Bruno, California. The ASCCC had

10

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

Virtual world, real world

By Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04

Facebook. Twitter. World of Warcraft.

These interactive Internet communities and games aren’t just ways for kids to pass time online, says Professor of Education Joseph Kahne, they may also be helping to transform the ways youth learn about and participate in civic and political life.

Kahne has long studied the connection between youth and civic engagement in the traditional classroom setting, and his insights have been cited in publications from the Chronicle of Higher Education to the New York Times. His research examines what courses and experiences best encourage young people to take action such as voting, volunteering, working with others on community issues, or contributing to charity— actions that many thinkers argue are necessary for a healthy, democratic society.

In recent years, some of his focus has moved from the classroom to the computer.

“A great deal of young people’s civic engagement is going online, but what we don’t know is how that will change the overall quality of participation,” he says. “Do people become better informed online? Do they hear more divergent perspectives?”

Kahne—who is also director of the campus’s Civic Engagement Research Group, which investigates civic learning opportunities both in and out of school—has already logged considerable time contemplating such questions. (See more about CERG at www.civicsurvey.org.) In a 2008 survey of 1,000 teenageers, conducted with the Pew Internet and American Life Project and funded by the MacArthur Foundation, he studied the quantity and quality of their civic engagement and their time spent playing video games of all sorts.

Study results exploded a persistent myth: “We examined the image of video games being socially isolating—that the kids who are most into them are loners and a little strange,” he says. “But in fact we found that kids who play video games tend to be more socially engaged than those who don’t.”

Some games, such as the complex role-playing game Civilization, offer what Kahne calls “civic gaming experiences,” such as creating a virtual nation, helping or guiding other players, exploring a social problem or ethical issue, or organizing game groups or guilds. Teens who had these experiences were “more likely to report interest and

Joseph Kahne

engagement in civic and political activities.” Kahne’s most recent studies further suggest that such interest-based online communities often expose members to people who differ widely in other regards.

Now, as chair of the nationwide Youth and Participatory Politics (YPP) research network, Kahne plans to expand upon his previous work. Funded by the MacArthur Foundation’s Digital Media and Learning Initiative, the YPP network (ypp.dmlcentral.net) will investigate how the Internet and digital media influence political engagement.

Kahne and his colleagues will explore such topics as the intersection of social networking and activism or the effects of digital literacy training.

“So much civic and political life is online. We’ve got to pay attention to new media when we think about civic learning,” says Kahne. The crux of his research, he adds, highlights a striking and fundamental contrast. “For some adults, the online world is new and not fully accepted,” he says, “but for youth, it’s just a part of their lives.”

photo by dana dav is

SPRING 2011

11

Around the world in 80 years

From the chemistry lab to the writing desk, Lienfung Li Ho ’43 has forged successes throughout her life’s journey

By Sarah Stevenson, MFA ’04

M

“My lifelong work is still what I learnt in the chemistry

building at Mills, but literature has encouraged me to write in my spare time,” Lienfung Li Ho ’43 says with typical modesty. After fleeing her childhood home in Shanghai following the Japanese invasion of 1937 and pursuing her education at Mills, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Cornell University, Ho has conquered several careers on three continents and raised three successful children. “Mills and MIT taught me how to use my head and my hands,” says the woman who turned a rag-tag warehouse with untrained workers into a respected chemical analysis lab—and followed her passion for literature to write books and newspaper columns in both English and Chinese.

After graduating from Mills, Ho worked briefly as a laboratory assistant in an aluminum smelting plant in New Jersey before pursuing a master’s degree in organic chemistry at MIT. “One year later, I realized my heart was elsewhere—my interest was not in chemistry, but in literature,” she says. But instead of balking at the idea of a change in vocation, she transferred from MIT to Cornell University, where she acquired a master’s degree in literature in 1946 and a lifelong love of writing. She also soon acquired a husband—Ho Rih-hwa, who was then a doctoral student at Harvard. “I personally think it might have been easier to stick to chemistry at MIT, but I had so much more fun reading poets and essays,” Ho says, a bit mischievously.

It was chemistry, though, that paid the bills. Her father soon sent Lienfung and her husband to Bangkok, Thailand, to buy

1943

tungsten and other ores being exported from that country. The Hos also set up a lab to analyze the ores. “I became chief chem-

the bulk of payment immediately, rather than waiting months

ist—or rather, the only chemist, since Bangkok in 1948 was still

for payment to be received after their ores had been shipped

short of skilled workers,” Ho says wryly.

overseas and verified by labs on the receiving end.

Working conditions were rough: Although the lab had been

At her husband’s suggestion, Ho then set her sights on

stocked with American equipment, there was no electricity or

another local product: tapioca flour. “I would never have both-

gas to run the burners. Ho built her staff from the ground up as

ered with this product because my head was full of unwritten

well. “I had 12 girls under me, but none of them even had pri-

poems,” says Ho. “But a challenge was a challenge, so I set my

mary school education,” she recalls. “They were anxious to learn

mind and thought about it.” In the end, the Hos built 12 modern

and do well, and before one knew it, I had a wonderful team.”

tapioca factories to supply American and European consumers.

The accuracy of their work allowed local ore exporters to receive

She also went on to devise industrial production of bean starch

12

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

vermicelli, which previously had been made only by hand.

have treasured,” says Minfong. “What did she write? Chinese

“I spent a whole year studying this process, separating super-

poems? Letters to her mother? Short stories? I never knew, but

stition from facts, and came up with a modern factory by pure

the sense of her immersed in a vibrant, mysterious world apart

logical reasoning,” Ho says proudly. “This factory is still operating;

from us—and yet so integral to her—came through strongly. Her

the packaging department alone employs 1,000 workers. This is

writing was a bridge to her ‘other’ life.”

probably my proudest achievement . . . and it certainly pays well!”

Lienfung’s two other children, sons Kwonping and Kwoncjan,

In 1967, Ho’s husband was appointed Singapore’s ambassador

jointly lead the Banyan Tree Hotel group, with resorts in more

to Thailand. He went on to serve as ambassador to Belgium, the

than two dozen locations worldwide.

European Common Market, Switzerland, and Germany, leading

For 67 years after her graduation, Ho had been in the Bay

the couple to live in many of the great capitals of Europe. Despite

Area often, but never returned to campus. “I did not want to lose

the gravity demanded at state receptions, palace dinners, and

the Mills I loved,” she says. “I realized that changes were inevi-

other official business, Mrs. Ho retained her sense of mischief

table and told myself: ‘Let the future generation have their own

and humor.

memories, but let me keep mine.’”

1968

2011

1943: Jennie Yee Lau ’46, Lienfung Li Ho ’43, Betty Chu Wo ’46, Winifred Ching Chau ’45, and Lillian Yung Ching ’45 at Mills; 1968: Son Kwoncjan, daughter Minfong, husband Rih-Hwa, Lienfung, and son Kwonping at the Singapore embassy in Thailand; 2011: Lienfung and her children, Kwonping, Kwoncjan, and Minfong.

“As an ambassador’s wife, I was a total wash-up—I knew noth-

But during a family reunion in San Francisco last summer,

ing of diplomatic spying,” she jokes. But she was certainly a hit

Lienfung’s three children and their spouses, along with six

among their diplomatic friends. “I was just myself, making a lot

grandchildren, persuaded her to make a long-overdue visit to

of my ambassador friends laugh. It was said that they all liked

the College. Minfong says this may have been Lienfung’s first

to sit next to me at a banquet because I could crack more jokes

real homecoming after a lifetime of peregrinations, adventures,

than the protocol officers allowed.” They remained in Europe

and achievements. “She left her Shanghai home at age 15 and

until the early 1970s, when the couple returned to Singapore for

didn’t go back until decades later, to find it burnt down and

good and Mrs. Ho started her writing career in earnest.

replaced by a bank building. Her home in Bangkok has changed

She published her first collection of short stories in 1965 and,

so drastically that she only visited once,” says Minfong. “But

in 1979, began writing weekly columns in Chinese and English

coming back to Mills was quite a revelation to her: she was able

for two Singapore newspapers. By now, she has more than ten

to return and find the room she used to live in, and show us how

books under her belt—the most recent a semi-biography about

she climbed out the window of Mills Hall to the ledge outside.

her parents titled A Daughter Remembers. She wrote the story in

‘Nothing has changed!’ she kept saying, and this was a source of

Chinese, and then translated it into English.

visceral satisfaction to her.”

Her daughter, Minfong Ho, an accomplished fiction writer her-

Upon returning to her old stomping grounds, Mrs. Ho admit-

self, retains vivid childhood memories of her mother writing late

ted, “I am glad that my children insisted. It was heartwarming to

at night, under the lamplight, after she thought her children were

look at Mills Hall and to be in my old dormitory room, listening

asleep. It was “a rare moment of quiet and solitude that she must

to the chimes once again.”

SPRING 2011

13





Integrals inspiration

By Susan McCarthy

Photos by Keith Lewis

Mathematicians are a rare breed, and female mathematicians are rarer still.

What attracts women to math— and how does Mills encourage this pursuit?

Late in the semester, the atmosphere in Assistant Professor Maia Averett’s Calculus 1

class is jaunty, jokey, casually focused. But serious learning is going on: calculating the volumes of solids using the definite integral. There are brownies and cookies. The task includes sketching solids created by revolving a two-dimensional region around an axis.

“I understand the concept, I just don’t understand doing the drawing,” a student grumbles as she taps her pencil in frustration.

Averett does an example. “Just set up the integral,” she tells the class. “Draw your picture and set up your integral and eat cookies.” She moves through the room, looking at the work. “You guys are doing great!” Back at the whiteboard, she often calls on students who’ve been too shy to speak up—but whose work has shown her they know the answer.

This is one example of how Mills excels at teaching math. No student gets lost in a crowd, no voice is drowned out—and no one is allowed to take their ability for granted.

A few nights later, in the same room, there’s an exuberant meeting of the Math Club, which Averett started this year. Club meetings may feature an invited lecturer, but tonight it’s math games (and more cookies). Play is enthusiastic, punctuated with laughter and exclamations. “Why isn’t there a purple solid diamond?” someone wails. The club is named the Möbius Band (for the looping, one-sided surface also called a Möbius strip), and students present Averett with a knitted Möbius scarf to “thank you for everything, and for starting math club.”

Club attendees include math majors and minors, calculus students, and a few students who just come for the fun of it. It’s a place where students are in the company of other women who enjoy math, a setting many have never encountered before. It helps to transform math from a subject you have to pass to a field that is delightful to explore.

Math is fundamental: Maia Averett, in striped sweater at right, plays Blokus with Möbius Band members.

Taylor Tate and Shivangi Bhatnagar, above right, face off in a game of Qwirkle.

14

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

Circles aren’t for squares Zvezdelina Stankova entices people into math. She poses a mathematical problem—a theorem, or a puzzle.

It’s easy to understand the question, but how to solve it is mysterious. Then Stankova will talk about a relevant area of math, and explain how it’s done. “I show them the magic transformation into a new problem that they can solve. At the end we come back to the problem and kill it!” she says with zeal.

The number of women entering mathematics fluctuates. Currently, numbers

of both men and women majoring in math are increasing, but the number of women majors is rising much more slowly. Across the country women make up around 40 percent of undergraduate math majors, a percentage that plunges in graduate studies. Teaching makes a tremendous difference in the number of women studying math. At Mills, with small classes, the encouragement of dedicated professors, and deeply engaged students, math is flourishing.

Math students at Mills don’t take a narrow view of mathematics, but perceive breadth and depth in the field and its history. Sophomore Emily Searle-White calls math “a global thing. It’s not specific to California or to this country. It’s eternal.” She likens the study of math to learning a new language. “I’m not sure I ever understood how beautiful it was when I was growing up.”

Shivangi Bhatnagar, vice president of the Möbius Band, says, “Math connects thousands of years’ worth of history in one line of thread. To think I am learning the theorems and works of mathematicians and logicians from so long ago is so touching and inspiring.” Bhatnagar is in a dual-degree engineering program that will result in a BA in math and a BS in industrial engineering to be completed at the University of Southern California.

Club secretary Erika Refsland ’14 notes that “every problem is filled with opportunity—different ways to perceive it, understand it, and solve it. Sometimes, when things get overwhelming, it’s stress-relieving to completely focus in on a long problem. Once I figure it out, I feel so triumphant.”

These are the attitudes Mills professors aim to nourish in their students. But the College’s focus on math is a relatively recent development. When Professor Lenore Blum came to Mills in the early 1970s, mathematics courses were folded into science departments. Blum was assigned to teach College Algebra, a “deadend course” that didn’t prepare students for more advanced math. Concerned by that course’s lackluster content, she saw a chance to “really change the trajectory of people’s lives. If I could quickly get people into pre-calculus workshops—where students could get the preparatory material in one semester, no

Professor Stankova uses this snare in her Problem Solving Techniques class at Mills and at the Berkeley Math Circle, a kids’ after-school program modeled on the study circles Stankova joined while growing up in Eastern Europe. In that culture, Stankova says, “I never felt that because I was a girl I was not supposed to go into mathematics.” Math circle training led Stankova to compete in two International Math Olympiads, the world championship competition for high school students.

When she began teaching, Stankova was dismayed to find that most US high school math students don’t prove theorems. Some encounter proofs in geometry, but in a constricting format that Stankova says “misses the beauty of mathematics.” The problems are boringly obvious. “Enthusiasm gets drained by such a course.”

Today, she delights in passing on her enthusiasm and her sense of ability and, in January, Stankova received the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics, the highest teaching award from the Mathematical Association of America (pictured below).

This honors “extraordinarily successful” teachers who have demonstrated “influence beyond their own institutions.”

At Mills, Stankova often encounters students who’ve had the uninspiring pre-college math experience her style of teaching combats. She encounters women who “did not have the opportunity before to be drawn into mathematics. By chance, they walk into a math class, and their view of mathematics changes immediately.”

Stankova has even used the power of math to show that the number of math majors and minors at Mills dipped following periods when calculus was taught by a non-permanent faculty member. The department now includes a tenure-track position to lead that class.

As a result, she exults, “There are more math students, more double majors, and more students ‘defect’ to mathematics. Math at Mills is a subject to be loved, explored, and ultimately conquered by women.”

E. Dav id Luria

matter what their background—they could be prepared for calculus.”

Students responded enthusiastically, and in 1974 Blum founded the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. Professor Steven Givant, who still teaches at Mills, also helped set the course of the department early on. The positive effect on students was psychological as well as educational: “If you can do calculus, you think, ‘Wow! I can do real mathematics,’” says Blum, who is now a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Barbara LiSanti, professor of mathematics and computer science, says many students take math as a requirement for a science major. “Our job is to pat them on the shoulder and say ‘Hey! Notice that you’re good at this. Maybe you should do more!’”

SPRING 2011

15

Math is “a global thing. It’s eternal. I’m not sure I ever understood how beautiful it was when I was growing up.” —Emily Searle-White ’13 A small liberal arts college can be

“Students are not allowed to just sit

I’ll always have the learning skills and

a superb place to study math. Averett

back and watch. We’re on their case all

the ability to problem-solve and to think

says her experiences as a student at the

the time,” says LiSanti. “At bigger schools

in the abstract. It’s helpful in working in

University of California at San Diego and

there’s so much emphasis on research

groups, it’s helpful in projects, it’s help-

Santa Barbara, with their notoriously huge

and so little on teaching. At Mills, teach-

ful in presentations.” Proving theorems is

class sections, discouraged her about

ing is primary.”

a useful model in non-math classes. “I’m able to rearrange things and put it out in

the potential of math teaching. Then

Studying math is valuable to stu-

she found Mills. “I came here because I

dents with diverse career plans. Math

thought that it would be a great place to

courses help students get into gradu-

Sophomore Emmalena Illia, a math

get women interested in math, to foster

ate school and get jobs, says Professor

major planning to go to medical school,

women’s love of math in a stress-free envi-

of Mathematics Zvezdelina Stankova. “A

has already made connections between

ronment, and to support their learning.”

a really logical way and end it properly.”

lot of students realize the advantage that

the mathematical study of probability

Junior Savannah Smith, a math major

mathematics gives them in economics,

she encountered in Professor Stankova’s

who is strongly considering a math grad-

biology, chemistry, neuroscience, or envi-

Problem-Solving Techniques and the

uate program, agrees. While people often

ronmental studies. They are all develop-

genetics she’s studied in biology.

think of mathematics as solitary, she

ing mathematical methods.”

First-year student Tala Councilman

says, she’s found it unexpectedly interac-

“If you have a bachelor’s degree in

had hated math in high school, but

tive. “It’s really integral to be able to ask

math everyone will think you are smart!”

needed to take at least a year of math

questions. I’ve had classes as small as five

Averett points out. More seriously, “It’s one

at Mills. Then, in Calculus 1, she fell in

people. You can talk in a normal voice.

of the subjects that teaches you to think

love with the subject the first day. “It took

You’re not going to be left behind in these

analytically in a really structured way.”

having such a wonderful professor who

classes—and you’re also being kept on your toes.”

16

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

Savannah Smith agrees that math study has altered her thinking. “I think

really loves math to help me come to love math as well.”

Bookshelf

The Baby of Belleville

The Latte Rebellion

Blue Shy

By Anne Marsella ’86 Portobello Books, 2010

By Sarah Jamila Stevenson, MFA ’04 Flux, 2011

By Barbara Meyer Link, MA ’77 Order at www.blueshy.net

When her French composer-husband

“Latte. It’s two things. Coffee mixed with

It is perhaps a parent’s worst nightmare:

brings a few co-workers home from the

milk. Sometimes with cinnamon on top.

a child has been brutally attacked and

Paris carwash where he is working to earn

Just like us. We’re living, breathing, lattes,”

is fighting for her life. For Barbara Link,

some money, Jane de la Rochefoucault

says brainy senior Asha Jamison—half

this awful scenario became real when

gets the feeling that something odd is

Indian, a quarter Mexican, and a quar-

her 18-year-old daughter “Ellie” was the

about to happen. When these co-workers

ter Irish—to her friend Carey, who is half

victim of a violent assault. (Names in the

steal a secret prototype car to fund a res-

Chinese and half Caucasian. After find-

book have been changed to protect Ellie’s

cue plan for members of their Muslim

ing themselves on the receiving end of

anonymity.) After more than two weeks

brotherhood being held hostage, Jane’s

a stupidly racist taunt from the head of

in a coma, she emerged with a severe

mother-in-law hides them in her chateau

the Asian American Club at school, Asha

brain injury and an uncertain future.

while they work their plans—and Jane is

and Carey hatch the Latte Rebellion, a

This well-written, true saga is compelling

embroiled in an adventure that will put

scheme to sell t-shirts championing the

and heart-wrenching as it follows both

her family in a bit of a predicament. Little

rights of mixed-race people everywhere,

mother and daughter as they negoti-

does she know that her own famiglia con-

with a marketing angle that includes

ate medical, personal, and bureaucratic

nections will help save the day.

a witty and, some might say, seditious

obstacles on the long path to recovery.

Anne Marsella’s novel combines the

“manifesto.” Though their initial aim is

From anger at the crime itself and the

trials and tribulations of first-time moth-

simply to finance a post-graduation trip

frustrations that accompany the difficul-

erhood, culture clashes, and marriage

to anywhere else, the manifesto soon

ties of her daughter’s battle to heal to the

with an international crime caper. Mafia

takes on a life of its own and Asha finds

gratitude at the unexpected support of

uncles, upper-crust communists, absent-

herself facing expulsion. She also comes

acquaintances and delight in Ellie’s suc-

minded

to realize what it means to commit to a

cesses, the author shares her emotional

cause that is meaningful and important.

turbulence with searing honesty.

avant-garde

composers,

and

feminist academics are just some of the wonderful characters she has created

Stevenson’s headstrong, complicated,

The book serves as a ray of hope for

to enliven her tale of raising a baby in

and thoughtful protagonist deals with a

those who are affected by traumatic

Belleville, a multicultural, mainly immi-

wide variety of teenage issues, from the

brain injury, but it’s an inspiring story in

grant section of Paris.

high expectations of her parents and the

its own right. The strength of the bond

While the plot features some imagina-

stress of college admissions to the tragedy

between mother and daughter is tested

tive flights of fancy, there are wonderfully

of growing apart from a best friend and, of

and transformed throughout the story,

real depictions of events and issues that

course, the panic and thrill of young love.

and Ellie’s determination and spirit are

many mothers will recognize: concerns

But the novel doesn’t pander to young

nothing short of extraordinary.

about whether or not to breastfeed, bal-

readers, assuming instead that they will

ancing work and family, setting up your

relate to Asha’s swings from self-doubt

home with limited income, and learning

and guilt to determination and triumph—

how to fit into life in a foreign country

and will understand, in the end, how the

all come up in both serious and hilarious

path you were meant to take isn’t neces-

situations.

sarily the one you planned to follow.

SPRING 2011

17

Sheryl J. Bizé Boutté ’73 Oakland, California Major: English Student activities: Columnist for Mills Stream (now The Campanil), Black Student Union, work-study at the West Oakland Health Center, administrative assistant in Admission Office.

Employment/volunteer experience: 1970: board member, Volunteer Bureau of Alameda County; 1970–1973: director, administrative services, West Oakland Health Center; 1974–1975: Oakland Schools Scholars and Achievers; 1973–2004: US Department of Energy (various, including director, HR, IT, and security); 2005–2007: executive director, Alumnae Association of Mills College; Women’s Leadership Institute, Advisory Board; interim director, Alumnae Relations, Mills College; 2007–present: VP strategic planning, Expanding Your Horizons Network; 2009–present: owner, Bizé-Boutté Organizational Solutions.

elect your

Alumna Trustee one of the three women described on these pages will be your next Alumna Trustee. Help determine who it will be by casting your vote now.

Serving for three years (July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2014) as a full member of both the Mills College Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors of the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC), this Alumna Trustee will help ensure that alumnae are well represented in the leadership of the College by conveying the views of the AAMC board to the College board. She will join continuing Alumnae Trustees Gayle Rothrock ’68 and Julia Almanzan ’92.

We are pleased to present this slate of accomplished and dedicated women: Sheryl J. Bizé Boutté ’73, Lyn Flanigan ’65, and Diana Birtwistle Odermatt ’60. Please note that Flanigan is currently serving as Alumna Trustee; her term is set to end on June 30, but AAMC bylaws allow her to serve consecutive terms if re-elected to the position.

The ballot is printed on the inside back cover of this Quarterly and must be received by the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) by May 11, 2011.

18

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

AAMC involvement: Member, AAMC Board of Governors Human Resources Committee; Alumnae of Color Committee; Nominating Committee; executive director; Mills College Transition Team; interim director, Alumnae Relations; member, AAMC Writing Group.

How Mills affected my life: Mills gave me the freedom to be creative without boundaries; to turn youthful mistakes into a lifelong focus on learning; to use my voice to effect change and help others; to know when silence has great impact; to enjoy the blessings of eternal friendships; and to present myself to the world with confidence.

The Alumnae Association and its relationship to the College: I see the AAMC as a true partner with the College with a stronger voice to enhance the participation of alumnae in the Mills community in an open, transparent alliance with a shared mission.

The future of Mills College: To increase support for the students and programs of the College by successfully obtaining additional resources. To maintain the excellent academic reputation currently enjoyed by continuing to retain and attract the best and brightest in academia and operations. Because the playing field is still not level, it is vitally important to maintain places where women can learn, use their voices and talents, support each other, and exhale unfettered.

Lyn Flanigan ’65

Diana Birtwistle Odermatt ’60

Honolulu, Hawaii

Berkeley, California

Major: Religion/Asian Studies MA Asian studies, JD, University of Hawaii

Major: Psychology

Student activities: ASMC Judicial Board chair; ASMC Social Board chair; Mary Morse social chair; other committees and activities.

Employment: Executive director, Hawaii State Bar Association; previously vice president/general counsel/corporate secretary, Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.; senior counsel, Kamehameha Schools/ Bishop Estate; Goodsill Anderson Quinn Stifle law firm; federal clerkships; East-West Center staff.

Volunteer experience: Mills College Alumna Trustee; East-West Center Board of Governors; Red Cross/Hawaii board; YWCA of Oahu Board; Friends of William S. Richardson School of Law; East-West Center Alumni/Foundation boards; other boards/commissions on leadership, mentoring, professionalism, and civic education.

AAMC involvement: Alumna Admission Representative; Hawaii Mills Club; AAMC Board.

How Mills affected my life: For three years, I have been honored to serve as an Alumna Trustee, working with staff, faculty, alumnae, and students. From a small mid-western town to a multicultural, multiethnic international community, I have made the Mills journey.

Mills prepared me for higher education and challenging professional and leadership positions, enabling me to serve the Mills Board on the Finance, Trustee, and Alumnae Relations Committees. Mentoring wonderful current Mills women is a bonus.

The Alumnae Association and its relationship to the College: The AAMC provides informed and involved alumnae leadership, shaped by shared experiences and diverse perspectives—a strong partner with a dedicated board and a new College president who is committed to women’s education and who understands the critical importance of alumnae. I am excited to contribute to this process.

The future of Mills College: Alumnae of women’s colleges excel as leaders, and Mills is answering the challenge to develop professional and leadership programs for women, built on a liberal arts foundation. As an Alumna Trustee, I am very proud to be a product of Mills and hope I have the opportunity to continue to contribute to Mills’ growth and development. We have many challenges and a very bright future with the help of Mills alumnae.

Student activities: Orchard Meadow Hall president, orientation chair, social chair, junior class program chair, many drama productions.

Employment: Mills dean of admissions and financial aid; development director positions with Head-Royce School, UC Berkeley, Bentley School; educational fundraising consultant.

AAMC involvement: Vice president AAMC; chair, Resource Development; chair, Annual Fund; Committees: Finance, Reunion, Human Relations, Alumnae Relations Advisory Committee; class secretary; created the Alumnae Admission Representatives Program, designed the Alumnae Awards Program.

How Mills affected my life: As the first in my family to be born in the US and to attend college, I appreciate the enormous opportunities

afforded to me by receiving a full scholarship to Mills. I blossomed in its encouraging academic life and developed a clear vision of all that I could accomplish with hard work and dedication.

The Alumnae Association and its relationship to the College: AAMC is the voice of 22,000+ alumnae across the country and the world.

AAMC retains its independence in developing programs and outreach opportunities for the needs of current and future Mills graduates. The AAMC maintains a strong bond between alumnae and the College. I am confident that Mills and its new president, Alecia DeCoudreaux, understand the great value of alumnae contributions and will strengthen the partnership with the AAMC to create stronger programs for all alumnae/i.

The future of Mills College: Mills’ future glows with promise as we step into a new era of leadership. My hope is that Mills will continue at the forefront of education in preparing undergraduate women and graduate women and men for a lifetime of opportunity and change.

What is the role of women’s colleges in higher education? Women’s colleges create a place for women of all ages to discover their talents. Students find a strong community, learn to think analytically, write and speak effectively, prepare for a career, and become socially aware. Women’s colleges create future women leaders.

SPRING 2011

19

L ooking for income you

can count on but nervous about the stock market?

Consider investing in the future of Mills College.

With a Mills College charitable gift annuity, you receive a fixed income for life at attractive rates. The remainder of your gift benefits Mills as a meaningful legacy. A portion of your income is tax free, and your gift qualifies for a considerable charitable deduction.

Our annuity rates are generous and your income is protected from market fluctuations. You can fund a gift annuity with cash or securities.

Mills College offers a variety of planned giving opportunities, including gift annuities. Nancy Fowler ’69 and April Hopkins, MFA ’03, are available to help you. Contact them at 877.PG.MILLS (toll-free) or planagift@mills.edu.

Sample Gift Annuity Rates as of January 31, 2011, based on $15,000 cash gift and one income recipient

AGE

ANNUITY ANNUITY RATE (Annual Income)

TAX-FREE CHARITABLE INCOME DEDUCTION

65

5.5%

$825

$574

$3,573

75

6.4%

$960

$724

$6,024

80

7.2%

$1,080

$841

$7,091

85

8.1%

$1,215

$994

$8,240

Income is guaranteed for life; gifts are irrevocable; not available in some states.

Rates, amount of tax free income, and charitable deduction are subject to change.

Kay Gilliland ’50 and Rhea Babbitt

W

e did ourselves a big favor by opening up two charitable gift annuities with Mills. These gifts return a higher rate than we could get any other way, and the quarterly payments are predictable and guaranteed. At the same time, we’re supporting education, which we believe is the key to making a difference in the world. A Mills education, in particular, prepares women to exert a profound influence on every aspect of life.

In Memoriam Notices of death received before December 20, 2010 To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123

Alumnae Margaret Page Greenleaf Buckley ’29, September 20, in Hanover, New Hampshire. She was 102.

She grew up in San Jose and, following graduate work at Stanford and Berkeley, taught school in Alameda; several of her fifth graders kept in touch with her throughout their lives. She is survived by her daughter, a son, and five grandchildren.

Margaret Thompson Gannon ’35, September 16, in Bakersfield, California. A preschool director and family counselor, she was a lifelong advocate for children and, with her daughter, established a telephone outreach program to support parents. She is survived by her daughter, Mary Lee Hutson-Burt ’58; a son; and four grandchildren.

Dorothy Haugh Greiner ’35, December 27, 2009, in La Jolla, California.

A patron of the musical arts, she served 12 years as district director of the San Diego Metropolitan Opera auditions and was named director emerita for her support of that organization. Survivors include two children, four grandchildren, and her cousin Elizabeth Tyler Escobar ’75.

Beverly Simpson Raley-Gantz ’38, November 2, in Underwood, Washington. She is survived by two daughters and five grandchildren.

Margaret Goold Slater ’38, October 25, in Placerville, California.

She taught elementary school and, with her husband, started the first

recreation department in El Dorado County as well as the county’s first teaching program for children with special needs. She is survived by three children and seven grandchildren.

Elizabeth Alexander Bonell ’39, June 14, in Reno, Nevada. She supported her community through work with the PTA, as a hospital volunteer and fundraiser, and as an active church member. Survivors include two children.

Helen Frank Sandack ’39, October 3, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was deeply engaged in the arts, democratic politics, the Jewish community, golf, and bridge. She is survived by her husband, A. Wally; five children; nine grandchildren; and her niece Sally Weinstock Fabian ’55.

Betsy Moors Goldsmith ’41, November 23, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

She was a gifted watercolorist, a dedicated hospital volunteer, and a talented gardener. Survivors include two sons and a granddaughter.

Mildred “Mid” Olsen Moore ’41, December 3, in Paradise, California. She owned Ridge Realty Company and was a leader of the Elks Wives Club, National Parliamentarians, Garden Club, and the Paradise Poker Club.

She is survived by her daughter, Christine Moore Anderson ’74, and five grandchildren.

Elizabeth Goode Rockwell ’41, September 11, in Escondido, California. She founded the dance program at New York’s famed High School of Performing Arts, started a dance school in Westchester County, New York, and launched the Westchester Dance Company (later known as the Rondo Dance Theater). After retiring, she taught at the California Center for the Arts and established an all-female troupe of dancers over 50. She is survived by her husband, Bill, and daughters Karen and Enid Rockwell ’73.

Gifts in Memory of

Sherman Maisel, husband of Lucy Cowdin Maisel ’38, by Leslie Stein Selcow ’63

Received September 1–November 30, 2010

Boitumelo McCallum ’09 by Teboho Moja, P ’09

Alda Nye Byron ’88 by Sharon Page-Medrich ’05

Joan Gross McCusker ’46 by Lucile Pedler Griffiths ’46, MA ’47, Marion Hellyer King ’54, Paula Merrix Sporck ’46, Anne Nicholson Turchi ’47, Carol Lotz Wenzel ’46, MA ’47

Willa Wolcott Condon, MA ’32, by Ann Condon Barbour ’69

Diane McEntyre by Tamitha Carpenter ’89

Helene Dietrich ’58 by Sharon King Halpern ’58

Georgiana Melvin by Mariah Imberman deForest ’59

Margaret Hincks Dyer ’43 by Candy Cornelius

Margery Foote Meyer ’45 by Emilie Reese Green ’45, Robert Vieregg

Lori Fong by Marilyn Learn

Evelyn Oremland by Sheri Szeles Brasher, MA ’82, Thomas Henteleff

Vera Foster by Alice McCracken ’63

Barbara Fairfax Phinney ’40 by Paula Merrix Sporck ’46

Sally Foppiano Gallagher ’60 by Susan Stanton Smegal ’60

Clement Renzi, husband of Dorothy Ohannesian Renzi ’48, by Sally Mayock Hartley ’48

Ron Antontonioli by Jerome Oremland

Denison Glass ’83 by Lisa Gleaton ’85 Elaine Johnson Gutleben ’44 by Chester Gutleben Ethel Henteleff by Thomas Henteleff, Jerome Oremland

Tomme Jackson Stalker ’41 by Jean Morgan Randall ’41, Mildred Eberle Rothrock ’41

Francis Herrick ’64 by Sally Mayock Hartley ’48

Marie Stevens ’47 by Janet Clark McCoy ’47

Constant Mergentheimer Hopkins ’48 by Sally Mayock Hartley ’48

Susan Burnett Taha ’49 by Sally Mayock Hartley ’48

Edith Krassa, grandmother of Kathleen Krassa ’10, by Carol McCoy

Charlene Brandt Taylor ’66 by Pamela Hunt ’68

Annette Swann Krueger ’54 by Diane Ferris Whyte ’54, Sandra Rietz Jones ’54

Geraldine Stevens Toms ’44 by Maurine Martin Harkness ’71, Magen Michaud

Edward LeFevour by Leslie Woodhouse ’90

Betty Taves Whitman ’46 by Patricia Bordonaro, Barbara Bucquet, George Chapman, Patricia Conklin, Marilyn French, Gary and Beverly Palma, Lucile Pedler Griffiths ’46, MA ’47, Joan Heyler, Barbara Johnson, Donald Moll, Lynda Taves Ogren ’54, Marjorie Schma, Antoinette Simmons, Paula Merrix Sporck ’46, Kathleen Waggoner, Donna Woods

Carol Lennox ’61 by Angelique Di Schino Felgentreff ’90 Elaine Lubisch by Karen Lubisch ’92

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

SPRING 2011

29

Darl E. Bowers 1921–2011 Most people will remember Professor Darl Bowers as a person who helped them learn to see the world around them. An outstanding observer, he brought a keen perception to his life as a scientist, teacher, artist, craftsman, and musician. He was the most skilled communicator of science I have known.

I first met Darl when I interviewed for my job at Mills; I observed his interactions with students and knew immediately that this was where I wanted to teach. Darl became my mentor and friend and was the same for many of my colleagues. Among the faculty, he led with quiet confidence and gentle persuasion; his integrity and charm impressed us all.

Darl Bowers received his PhD in zoology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1954; he began teaching biology at Mills that same year. In a career spanning more than three decades, he was an integral member of the campus community: he chaired the Life Sciences Department, served on numerous committees, and taught every course in the Biology Department. His scientific work, including original illustrations, is still included in publications such as Intertidal Invertebrates of California and Manual of Intertidal Invertebrates of Central California.

Darl’s enthusiasm, caring, knowledge, and wisdom influenced countless students. He helped many women enter and succeed in scientific fields which were, at the time, dominated by men.

Lois Heitler Hanson ’42, October 15, in Kensington, California. She taught high school in Richmond until 1978 and was a superb seamstress. She is survived by her husband, Jack; two children; and two grandchildren.

Jewish Appeal, United Way, and many other organizations. She is survived by three children and seven grandchildren.

Catharine “Kay” Damon Hopkins ’42, October 4, in Los Altos, California. Her 60-year teaching career began at a World War II relocation center for Japanese Americans and later led her to specialize in preschool and primary education. She led music workshops for children and was active in the Methodist Church. She is survived by her husband, Albert; three sons; and two grandchildren.

Barbara Besson Martin ’42, August 17, in Portland, Oregon. She participated in the Portland Junior Symphony Board, Reed College Women’s Committee, and the Waverley Country Club. She was also a golfer, calligrapher, duplicate bridge player, and fan of the Portland Trailblazers. She is survived by four children and nine grandchildren.

Marian Ready Smullen ’42, May 17, in Reno, Nevada. She learned to fly through the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) program and taught elementary school before raising her family. She is survived by her husband, John; two children; and two granddaughters.

Elizabeth Ragle Soule ’42, August 27, in Sandwich, Massachusetts.

She supported her husband’s career as a Navy medical officer, was a member of the PEO, served as a church volunteer, and collected children’s books. She is survived by three sons and six grandchildren.

Mary Longmire Woodward ’43, November 15, in Prairie Village, Kansas.

An accomplished pianist, she was a Girl Scout leader, PTA mom, and director of the boys’ choir at Second Presbyterian Church. She is survived by three daughters and eight grandchildren.

Elizabeth Booth Hodde ’44, September 8, in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. After raising her children, she earned her degree in interior design and worked in the field for many years. She was also involved at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, a member of the Hilton Head Art League, and a patron of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. She is survived by three children and nine grandchildren.

Beverly Henigson Mitchell ’44, October 30, in Beverly Hills, California.

She was an educator and community leader, serving on the boards of the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Music Center, the United 30

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

Darl Bowers, professor emeritus of biology, passed away at home in Oakland on January 5. The campus community extends its deepest sympathy to his wife, Anita Aragon Bowers ’63; daughters George-Ann, Ondine, and Jeannette ’84; and five granddaughters.

—Remembered by John Vollmer, professor emeritus of chemistry

Claudine Hunter Spindt ’45, October 24, in Suisun City, California.

Patricia Phillips Silleck ’46, November 21, in Littleton, Colorado.

Raised in Honolulu, she settled in Scarsdale, New York, after World War II. After working as a model, she operated several antiques dealerships and was a member of the Appraisers Association of America. Survivors include two children and four grandchildren.

Hazel Ziegler Simon, MA ’48, August 12, in Palo Alto, California. She was a sculptor and faculty member at Riverside Art Center and wrote a weekly arts column in the Riverside Press-Enterprise. Survivors include three sons and her niece Aleta Kennedy Hoyt ’72.

Marcia Stapp Welty ’48, June 26, in Newport, Rhode Island. She worked in television production in the early 1950s, was a member of the Conanicut Yacht Club, and was an ardent hiker. She is survived by her husband, Robert; two children; and two grandchildren.

Jeanne Harris Hansell ’49, October 3, in Washington, DC. She had a career as a mental health clinician and social worker and is survived by her husband, Herbert; three children; and two grandchildren.

Margaret Hudelson Scherer ’49, December 5, in Walnut Creek, California. She volunteered extensively on school outings, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, and in Scouting activities. She was an art docent, Art Guild president, and employee of the Oakland Museum of California. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Bill; four children; and seven grandchildren.

Patricia Henry Prindle ’50, June 24, in Los Angeles.

Constance Simi Barsotti ’52, November 5, in Madera, California.

An accomplished pianist, she taught kindergarten and worked with children with special needs in her 31-year teaching career. She also was an organist for St. Joachim’s Church. She is survived by her husband, Ben; three children; and six grandchildren.

Marilyn Mason Black ’53, November 10, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

She volunteered at the Oklahoma Historical Society genealogy library for over 30 years. She is survived by three children, nine grandchildren, and her cousin Betty Bryan Finley ’45.

Virginia Esquivel ’53, September 15, in Rio Dell, California.

Inez Bartolacelli Healy ’54, December 7, in San Francisco. She enjoyed horses, art, and playing the piano; was an avid stuffed animal collector; and held season tickets to the symphony and opera. She is survived by many extended family members.

Valerie Hogue Cress ’56, November 16, 2008, in Buckeye, Arizona.

Jean Mann MacDonald ’57, October 24, in Watsonville, California. She taught in K–12 schools and volunteered with Friends of the Sea Otter and the Agricultural Historical Society. She is survived by her husband, Paul; two sons; and two grandsons.

Marjorie Fast Addiego ’60, February 9, 2010, in El Cerrito, California.

Survivors include a son.

Claudia Jager Spencer ’60, November 28, in Upland, California.

She focused on domestic violence and children’s welfare in her career with the San Bernardino County Public Health Department and was named a canon of the Episcopal Church for her activities within the church. Survivors include her husband, Arthur; two children; and two grandchildren.

Susannah MacRae Whitty, MA ’60, October 26, in Surrey, England.

She came to Mills as a Fulbright scholar and went on to teach English, music, and drama at schools in Britain, Uganda, Belgium, and Nigeria.

An adventurous outdoorswoman, she served as a trustee of Restless Development, an NGO that sends young people to work in developing countries. She is survived by four sons.

Fannie Lavada Burleigh ’73, March 15, 2010, in Fresno, California.

She worked for the Internal Revenue Service and later opened her own business.

Susan Grant ’83, September 16, in Agoura, California. She earned her MD and worked as an emergency room physician in Detroit before returning to California. She was also an avid scuba diver. Survivors include her parents and four siblings.

Sandra Fuentes Kellum ’90, August 28, in Piedmont, California.

She lived in New York, London, and Florence, Italy, and had a long career as a paralegal before pursuing her art history degree at Mills and becoming a docent at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Survivors include many nieces and nephews.

Spouses and Family Robert Bunning, husband of Mary Donovan Bunning ’42, August 2, in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Donald Cheney, husband of Barbara Farringer Cheney ’46, July 12, in West Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Robert Dunn, husband of Virginia Winkler Dunn ’45, May 19, in Carlsbad, California.

Sherwood Finley, husband of Betty Bryan Finley ’45, father of Laura Finley Alexander ’72, April 10, in Sanibel, Florida.

Vera Foster, partner of Alice McCracken ’63, August 14, in Sequim, Washington.

Carolyn Graham, mother of Stephanie Graham ’83 and Julie Graham Zeiden ’88, September 26, in Carmel, California.

William Hussman, husband of Helen “Betty” Porter Hussman ’43, October 21, in Minden, Nevada.

Chalmers Johnson, husband of Sheila Knipscheer Johnson ’58, November 20, in Cardiff by the Sea, California.

Edith Krassa, grandmother of Kathleen Krassa ’10, July 13, in San Leandro, California.

Sherman Maisel, husband of Lucy Cowdin Maisel ’38, former UC Berkeley economics professor and governor of the Federal Reserve system, September 29, in San Francisco.

Patrick McAvoy, husband of Caroline Bennett Fahlen ’69, October 13, in Guerneville, California.

Robert Morehead, husband of Gaylie Brockbank Morehead ’59, December 14, 2009, in Saint George, Utah.

Frank Morrison, husband of Jeanne Sterling Morrison ’45, December 6, 2009, in Los Altos, California.

Frank Podesta, father of Amy Podesta Hesla ’78, July 29, in Santa Rosa, California.

Donald Rosenberg, husband of Christa Barnes Rosenberg ’03, October 7, in Oakland, California.

Faculty and Staff Jane Hohfeld Galante, December 1, in San Francisco. A major presence in chamber music in San Francisco for over 60 years as a pianist, teacher, scholar, board member, and vigorous advocate of the arts.

A graduate of Vassar College and UC Berkeley, she was a protégé of Darius Milhaud at Mills; in 1988, she published the translation from the French of Darius Milhaud by Paul Coaller, for which she was decorated with the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Artes et des Lettres. She was a founder of the San Francisco Composers forum in 1946, served as a board member of San Francisco Performances and the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music, and was an honorary trustee of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and an honorary member of the University of California, Berkeley, Library Committee. She also formed the Lyra Ensemble which, for seven years, gave concerts in Bay Area public schools. She was a founding trustee and driving force behind the Morrison Chamber Music Center at SF State University for 54 years.

Galante was a lifetime member of the Sierra Club, an avid horsewoman, and an accomplished California historian. She is survived by her husband, Clement; two sons; and seven grandchildren.

Philip Metzidakis, who taught Spanish language and literature at Mills from 1960 until 1968, died November 8 in Silver Spring, Maryland.

He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1953 and earned his PhD in Spanish literature from Yale University in 1960, as well as advanced degrees in Romance studies and philology from the University of Salamanca, Spain. He went on to teach at Swarthmore until 1995, authored two books in Spanish, and co-translated the 1974 novel En Este Lugar Sagrado (In This Sacred Place) by the Chilean author Poli Delano. He is survived by two children and three grandsons.

Friends Richard Goldman, a philanthropist and environmental activist, died November 29 in San Francisco. He and his wife, Rhoda, supported numerous causes through the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, most notably establishing the global Goldman Environmental Prize for grassroots environmental activists. Goldman generously endowed the Rhoda Goldman Professorship in Environmental Science at Mills College, to honor his wife and support the advancement of women in science.

Georgette “Dodie” Rosekrans, former Mills Trustee and benefactor, passed away November 6 in San Francisco. A supporter of the arts, music, and cultural centers in San Francisco and in Europe, she served three terms as a Mills College Trustee from 1989 to 1998 and created an artist-in-residence position within the Center for Contemporary Music. Rosekrans also pursued her own education at Mills, taking classes in art history, French, and music. She is survived by two sons, two stepsons, and ten grandchildren.

SPRING 2011

31

Sound off!

A great teacher can open your mind to new worlds of knowledge, provide insight and inspiration, and even change the course of your life.

Reynold Wik

Diana Russell

Alfred Frankenstein

Nancy Thornborrow

Who was your most influential professor?

Although I knew I wanted to be a law-

about. As we recalled the context and

In first-year English composition, Cynthia

yer, halfway through my first semester of

special qualities of each, we amazed our-

Scheinberg pushed me harder than I had

Nancy Thornborrow’s macroeconomics

selves, not because of our fine memories,

ever been pushed. She challenged me

class, I switched my major from political,

but because Dr. Frankenstein had so

to clarify my thinking and therefore my

legal, and economic analysis to econom-

imprinted our minds. Learning from him

writing. Up until then, writing had come

ics. Not because I changed my desired

seemed so easy, so much fun. Later, when

easily to me. I expected to sail through

career (I am an attorney), but because

I became a teacher myself, I learned that

her class. Instead, I questioned my own

Nancy made economics seem so cool,

Dr. Frankenstein had asked me to apply

abilities. I have since come to see it as one

sophisticated—even chic. I took every

higher order thinking, not merely to

of my greatest “growth spurts” as a writer.

course she taught, was her teacher’s assis-

regurgitate facts.

I now make my living as a writer; my

tant, and tutored students in her classes.

—Sabra Black Hoffman ’65

She inspired me to be a better person, a smarter woman, a thinker.

Nancy was a guest at my wedding and

career has allowed me to travel the world and be one of the lucky people who love

Reynold Wik stands out among all my

outstanding

Mills

teachers.

The

their jobs.

—Senta Gorrie Leff ’01

sent wonderful gifts and words of inspi-

Depression period following the stock

ration when my boys were born. She is

market crash of 1929 is so clear in my

Diana Russell was an amazing woman

more than a mentor, she is a friend.

mind (although it happened long before

to have access to in the 1970s when the

I was born) because we read newspapers

women’s movement was maturing and

—Deanna Brock ’92

of the time in class. I read about society

morphing from the social to the politi-

Edward Milowicki was interesting and

balls and breadlines all taking place at the

cal; Mills was so blessed to have her to

engaging. He really was open to our

same time and saw how different life was

start the women’s studies program. I

thoughts, no matter how (excuse the

for different groups. I learned so much

always came away from her classes with

pun) sophomoric they might have been. I

from being in his class!

my mind firing on some new wavelength

cringe when recalling some of my under-

—Natalie Thomas Malin ’58

educated faux pas, but he never made me

because of something she presented for us to ponder. Dr. Russell embodies the

feel dumb. He just made me want to learn

Darl Bowers was inspirational, soft-spo-

education that only a women’s college

more. And I still want to learn more in the

ken, kind, humorous, creative, and tal-

could have provided at that time—she is

field he taught: classic literature.

ented in so many ways. He was a great

the single most likely seed that fed my

scientist and always made us continue

call to social activism.

—Susan Krzywicki ’74

to question. He had a wonderful singing Professor Alfred Frankenstein was so pas-

voice and woke us all up every Monday

sionate! He made American art history

morning by having us sing in rounds, and

live for me and my roommate Marion

was also a great artist and environmental-

Locke-Paddon Carter ’65. When she and

ist. He inspired me to continue to explore

I visited the National Art Gallery together

the sciences… so I studied art and envi-

in the early ’90s, we stood before paint-

ronmental education, and still do, and

ings by Homer, Aikens, Harnett, and

have passed my passion on to others.

others Dr. Frankenstein had taught us 32

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

—Lynne Rishell Spickard ’75

—Joanne Mock ’76

Want to read more? We received so many excellent responses to this question, we’ll run additional recollections of your most influential professors in the next issue of the Quarterly.

Alumna Trustee Ballot Nominee statements are printed on pages 18–19.

Please indicate your first, second, and third choice for 2011–14 Alumna Trustee below:

 Sheryl J. Bizé Boutté ’73  Lyn Flanigan ’65

 Diana Birtwistle Odermatt ’60

IMPORTANT:



Mail your ballot to:

• Ballots must be mailed in a private envelope. Ballots mailed in pre-addressed Mills College Annual Fund envelopes will not be counted.

• Only ballots cut from the Quarterly will be counted. The ballot is printed on the inside back cover of the Quarterly.

No ballot will be accepted without the mailing label on the reverse side.

In order to maintain voter confidentiality, the Association’s mail opener will verify that the mailing labels are authentic and then ink out voter names before passing ballots on to the Nominating Committee chair for final count.

• No faxed ballots or call-in or email votes are valid.

Ballots must be received at Reinhardt Alumnae House by 5:00 pm, Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Chair, Nominating Committee AAMC Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86 Oakland, CA 94613

Upon request, the AAMC will send a spring Quarterly to replace the one from which you have cut this ballot. Call 510.430.2110 or email aamc@mills.edu.

Alumnae tr avel 2011 Danube Grand Passage Experience eastern European culture and cuisine as you visit marvelous Old World capitals, medieval castles, monumental cathedrals, pretty little villages, and incomparable Danube River landscapes. Stay in luxurious hotels in Thessaloniki, the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia, and Sofia, Bulgaria’s beautiful capital.

Enjoy a nine-night cruise aboard the MS Amadeus Elegant, taking in the river’s spectacular scenery, including the Iron Gate Gorge and Wachau Valley, between stops in Belgrade, Budapest, and Vienna.

Your visit to eight countries and 11 cities and towns includes two lectures that offer insight into local history and culture.

September 13–27, 2011, 14 days, $4,470 plus air For reservations or additional information, call the Alumnae Association of Mills College at 510.430.2110 or 510.430.3373, or email aamc@mills.edu.

See a listing of all upcoming trips and new travel offerings online at http://alumnae.mills.edu.

SPRING 2011

33

Alumna Trustee election inside See candidates on page 18, ballot on inside back cover

Mills Quarterly Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd.

Oakland, CA 94613-1301

Address service requested Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, CA, and at additional mailing office(s)

Young Women Speaking the Economy An exhibition launch sponsored by the International Museum of Women and Mills College

April 21, 7:00 pm Jeannik Méquet Littlefield Concert Hall, Mills College Guest speaker Maya Soetoro-Ng Meet students from Mills College and universities in the Sudan, the Philippines, and Denmark who are participating in discussions exploring gender, culture, work, poverty, and wealth as part of the International Museum of Women’s examination of women’s roles in the global economy. Experience their creativity and be inspired by their visions for the future as we launch the new online exhibition, Young Women Speaking the Economy, which showcases young women’s hopes, fears, challenges, and aspirations at a critical moment for the global economy.

See the full online exhibit, including art and conversations from these students, at www.imow.org/economica.

Reception and book signing to follow.

Seating is limited; RSVP today to rsvp-vpo@mills.edu.

Funding for the project is provided by the American Association of Museums’ Museums & Communities Collaboration Abroad (MCCA) program, MetLife Foundation’s Museum and Community Connections, and the Emma Willard School.

Maya Soetoro-Ng Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Maya Soetoro-Ng is a writer and educator with a PhD in international comparative education. Ladder to the Moon, her first picture book, was inspired by her young daughter Suhaila’s questions about her late grandmother Ann Dunham, the mother of Maya and of United States President Barack Obama. Beautifully illustrated by Bay Area Mexican-American artist Yuyi Morales, Soetoro-Ng’s work emphasizes the importance of storytelling in our lives and addresses themes of global awareness, cross-cultural understanding, and intergenerational connectedness.