Mills Quarterly, Winter 2016

reunion class photos

 alumnae award winners  dancing scientists

Mills Quarterly Winter 2016

What is social justice?

ANOTHER UNIQUE MILLS EXPERIENCE MADE POSSIBLE BY YOU

SARAH SWOPE AND ANDREA KUfTIN ’16

GENEvA LEE ’16

Will dormant seeds of the critically endangered Tiburon jewelflower in California’s drought-stricken soil be viable when the rains return? Will plants grown from these seeds be genetically diverse enough to help this species adapt to a rapidly changing climate? These are among the questions that Assistant Professor of Biology Sarah Swope and her students Geneva Lee ’16 and Andrea Kuftin ’16 are studying together.

The enviable student-to-faculty ratio at Mills College means professors can work closely with students to help them achieve more than they ever thought possible. Your gifts to Mills create unique opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate on projects that are timely, relevant, and life-changing.

MAKE A STATEMENT. Give to Mills College by calling 510.430.2366, visiting alumnae.mills.edu/give, or returning the enclosed envelope.

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Mills Quarterly

contents Winter 2016 3

Our curriculum must change

As our world changes, the classes Mills offers must also evolve to remain relevant and useful, while remaining true to core liberal arts values. Thoughtful evaluation of both new and well-established academic programs ensures that students will continue to receive the best possible education.

6

Teaching justice by Dawn Cunningham ’85

“What is the role of universities in social change?” asks Ananya Roy ’92. As a leading scholarly voice in the conversation about economic systems, race, class, and gender, she is proposing new answers to that question—and new tactics to achieve greater equity.

8 What is social justice? by Monique Beeler and Dawn Cunningham ’85 Social justice can mean different things to different people. Meet several alumnae who approach the concept from a variety of angles, but all with the larger goal of building opportunity, equality, and inclusion for all.

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Alumnae awards go to gifted graduates

Classmates from near and far gathered in September to laud this year’s alumnae award winners.

Plus: Reunion class photos.

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Dance partners, lab partners by Linda Schmidt

For these three alumnae, the study of science and the art of dance create perfect harmony.

Departments 2

Letters to the Editor

4

Mills Matters

20

Class Notes

25

In Memoriam

On the cover: Lady Justice of the Guildhall, by B. Cre ativ e Commons BY- NC-SA 2.0, w w w.flick r.com/photos/115 61957@N 0 6/19 8125 82 0 9 0

Letters to the Editor

Mills Quarterly Volume CIV Number 2 Winter 2016 President Alecia A. DeCoudreaux Chief of Staff and Vice President for Communications and External Relations Renée Jadushlever Editor Linda Schmidt Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson Contributing Writers Monique Beeler Dawn Cunningham ’85 Editorial Assistance Russell Schoch The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly by Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California, and at additional mailing office(s). Postmaster: Send address changes to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613.

Copyright © 2015, 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.

In the last Mills Quarterly, I found the

That you could write a full-length fea-

article by Sheryl Bize-Boutte ’73 (“Pride

ture on Lisser Hall (“Lisser Hall: A drama

and pain,” fall 2015) quite disturbing.

in four acts,” fall 2015) and leave out the

“A finishing school for privileged

amazing and long-term contributions

ladies?” “Tolerated but couldn’t really

of James Wright makes me more than

belong?” Seriously? I have no idea what

sad. It makes me angry. Jim Wright had

school Bize-Boutte is talking about, but

a long career in the Drama Department

it isn’t the Mills College where I went to

at Mills College. When I contacted Jim,

school.

he said he didn’t care about his absence

Black, white, Asian, and Hispanic

from the article, and reminded me that

women attended my Mills. We shared

theater was about finding one’s voice.

dorm rooms, social functions, and great

Jim told me that he was simply proud to

professors. We were focused on becom-

be in the room with all these young—and

ing

important

not so young—minds. He said his role

women—not prejudices. Ms. Bize-Boutte

was merely to be part of something big-

should take a look at all the women

ger than himself. I am better for having

who came before her, who paved her

known him. He changed my life. Mills

way—musicians, artists, senators and

College is better because he was there.

strong,

meaningful,

representatives,

community

leaders,

volunteers, doctors, lawyers, professors happened to be one of my best friends.)

erage of this year’s Commencement

wrote about, but for me it was to work at

(summer 2015). There was not a single

a filling station earning a dollar an hour.

word about the controversy surround-

Of course the school needed Ms. Bize-

ing the selection of Oakland Mayor

Boutte and all the rest of us who worked

Libby Schaaf as the speaker, nor was

hard to get into the “Smith of the West.”

there a word about the protest where the

However, it sounds to me like she arrived

Class of 2015 raised yellow signs pro-

at Mills with a huge chip on her shoul-

claiming “Black Lives Matter” and “End

der—and it’s still there.

—Beth Lyon Barnett ’49 Fairway, Kansas

Police Brutality” to urge Schaaf to hold Oakland police accountable for their violence against black lives. Witnessing the Class of 2015 asserting their will to

Ms. Bize-Boutte asserts that those of us who attended Mills prior to 1969 received a less than rigorous academic education and were ill prepared to become leaders. These assertions are insulting to Mills College and its distinguished, accomplished alumnae. They also fly in

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

lication sanctioned as fact, not opinion,

College. That the official alumnae pubsuch erroneous, derisive, and dismissive characterizations is appalling.

—Barbara Evans ’63 Redwood City, California

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

I was deeply disappointed by your cov-

I, too, went through that back gate she

the face of facts and the history of Mills

2

—Robin Mitchell ’98 Chicago, Illinois

of all races—even a racecar driver (who

Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312

(Please use outline)

)

change the world made me damn proud to be an alum.

Whether

intentional

or

not,

the

Quarterly’s lack of coverage contributed to the larger way Mills ignores the needs of its black students. I love Mills dearly, but it needs to do better. As an alum, I don’t just want to hear the good things. Let’s not forget the way Mills can be unwelcoming and hostile to black students.

—Stephanie Der ’13 Napa, California

Have an opinion? Write to Mills Quarterly, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613.

For the latest publicly available updates on the search for the next president of Mills College, see mills.edu/presidential_search

*

A Message from the President of Mills College

Our curriculum must change

By Alecia A. DeCoudreaux

T

• This summer, we analyzed the cost of

his fall, the Mills community

exciting new programs of study to bet-

has been discussing a par-

ter meet the needs and interests of our

delivering courses and majors at Mills, student demand for programs, and

ticularly critical topic for our

students. However, we do not have the

future: how should our curriculum

financial resources to add new programs

comparisons with peer colleges.

change in order to distinguish us as a

without discontinuing some offerings or

• Meanwhile, department heads and

college and serve our students well into

rethinking how programs are run. As we

other faculty assessed resource allo-

the future?

make decisions about transforming the

cation, identified program synergies,

curriculum, we must:

and generated ideas for new programs,

• Create more flexible ways to study

revised majors, and flexible study

We have already adopted new undergraduate core curriculum requirements, which provide part of the answer. Now

here, such as evening and weekend

options. Recently, I presented a pre-

we are considering broader changes to

courses and low-residency graduate

liminary proposal to the Mills com-

the majors and minors that we offer,

programs, so that more students can

munity outlining ideas for creating new

which will soon provide another part.

benefit from a Mills education.

programs, revising or growing existing

Change is imperative. Mills College is committed to sustaining itself as a leader in higher education. We must evolve,

become

more

competitive,

embrace change, and work together to create our new vision of the future for our students of the future. In so doing, we will ensure that Mills continues to be

• Develop a more globally focused

ones, and eliminating others. I heard

undergraduate curriculum to reflect

many impassioned criticisms—

our increasingly global society.

particularly of suggestions to elimi-

• End the structural deficit that has

nate the book art program and change

plagued the College for years, lower

the undergraduate dance major into a

our draw on the endowment to

minor—as well as creative solutions. My

sustainable levels, and achieve a

cabinet and I are taking into account

balanced budget.

all feedback received as we develop a

a great investment for our students and

Progress to date. We launched the pro-

for our donors.

cess of transforming our curriculum in

full proposal for the board of trustees, which will be submitted on December 1 (after this magazine goes to press).

The College’s success has always

2013, when we adopted our strategic

depended on how well we prepare stu-

plan. Our Curriculum Transformation

As I write this letter, our ideas for program

dents for life after Mills. As the possi-

Task Force already completed one very

changes are still evolving. I encourage

bilities open to women have expanded,

crucial step: it developed new under-

you to continue to visit alumnae.mills.

and as the capabilities required for lead-

graduate core curriculum requirements

edu/FutureMills for the most current

ership and personal and professional

which will take effect with the fall 2016

information. While I understand that this

success have changed, Mills has discon-

first-year class. This core curriculum is

has been a sometimes difficult process, I

tinued older programs in order to devote

designed to provide an updated well-

believe that it has brought out the best

resources to more relevant emerging

rounded liberal arts education, with a

of the Mills community: our creativity,

topics. A century ago, home economics

focus on creating engaged global citi-

our critical thinking, our commitment to

was a key part of the curriculum at Mills

zens. It encompasses written and oral

teaching and learning.

and other women’s colleges. Greek and

communication skills, quantitative liter-

The common thread that binds us is our

Latin were standard subjects in a liberal

acy, technology skills, and critical anal-

passion for Mills. As we evolve as a com-

arts education. Computer science and

ysis. It also includes requirements for

munity and institution, we must not fail

ethnic studies, on the other hand, were

study of a language other than English;

to act in concert with this passion and

unheard of at that time.

international perspectives; race, gender,

our values. A sustainable business model

and power; scientific inquiry; commu-

and innovative, relevant curricula deliv-

nity engagement; and creativity.

ered in the most flexible ways possible are

Change reflects educational vision and financial realities. Today we are at a critical juncture in the evolution of the College. One of the imperatives of our strategic plan is to develop “a curriculum with a purpose in a changing world.” Our faculty are proposing

For the past six months, we have been working on the next big step: examining how all our programs of study fit together—undergraduate and graduate; majors, minors, and concentrations—and how to innovate while controlling costs.

the basis for a bright future for Mills and future generations of students.

Visit alumnae.mills.edu/FutureMills for the latest on proposed curriculum changes.

WINTER 2016

3

Mills Matters By the numbers: the 2015–16 Mills student body Building a better future, today

Total Enrollment: 1,405 students representing 43 states and 12 countries.

Undergraduates

867

First-year students

134

To encourage creative collaboration and problem solving by students and faculty in any discipline, in September

First-generation 42% Transfer students

Mills opened a new “innovation lab”

98

in Carnegie Hall. Inspired by maker

Resumers 17% Students of color

51%

Living on campus

57%

Graduate students

spaces and flexible workspaces being built by leading universities and creative companies, the open-plan room

538

is equipped with projection equipment,

Women 80%

digital displays, and reconfigurable

Men 20%

furniture, along with low-tech tools

Students of color

Faculty

42%

full time part time

Total number

99

103

Female faculty

68%

73%

Faculty of color

33%

34%

Terminal degree

94%

62%

Student: Faculty ratio

10:1

Average class size

15

Budget & fundraising highlights Annual budget

$81.4 million

Endowment value (June 30, 2015)

$182.7 million

Giving to Mills

$10.6 million

Financial Aid Full-time undergraduate tuition for the 2015–16 academic year is $42,990. Approximately 93 percent of undergraduate students receive financial aid; 89 percent receive some portion of their aid directly from Mills.

The average award is $39,846. This year, $31.9 million in total aid will be awarded to undergraduates, of which $18 million is funded by Mills.

Graduate tuition begins at $31,620.

Eighty-nine percent of graduate students received financial aid totaling

(2014–15)

$14.6 million. Mills funded $4.9 million

like white boards and sticky notes.

The goal was to create a space that changes behavior, promotes democratic teamwork, supports interdisciplinary inquiry, and nurtures confidence. Throughout the fall semester, the space was home to workshops cultivating a wide range of creative skills, from 3-D printing to coding for beginners and from selfmarketing to soldering.

The innovation lab is one result of a retreat held this summer at the Institute for the Future, a Palo Alto–based nonprofit research

of that amount.

and consulting group dedicated to

Rankings

atically about the future in order

helping organizations think system-

Trustee gifts

$1.7 million

Alumnae gifts

$3.3 million

universities in the West by US News

Thirty-one trustees, faculty, staff, and

Gifts from parents, friends, and others

$1.4 million

& World Report, which also lauded

students participated in the three-day

Mills as a good value in the “Great

workshop to generate project ideas

Schools at Great Prices” category.

that will help Mills capitalize on its

• The Princeton Review named Mills

strengths to address current trends

Foundation and

$3.9 million

corporate gifts Estate gifts Mills College Annual Fund gifts

$0.3 million $7.3 million

(includes gifts from several categories above)

• Ranked fifth among colleges and

one of the Best 380 Colleges as well

in higher education, changing needs

as one of the top green colleges for

in society, and the future of work.

environmental policies and practices.

These proposals are currently being

• Ranked 13th among master’s

explored by teams of Mills students,

universities in the nation by

staff, faculty, and trustees for feasi-

Washington Monthly.

bility and relevance.

• The Daily Meal rated Mills 12th in the nation for fresh and nutritious campus dining.

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

to make better decisions today.

Mills establishes translation program Mills College is introducing a lowresidency master of fine arts (MFA) in translation degree, one of only a handful of such programs in the United States.

The program encompasses translation into and from almost any language and couples a strong academic foundation in literary translation with training in practical translation— a combination that will prepare students to take advantage of the market demand for translators worldwide.

The five-semester program will

Calendar Center for Socially Responsible Business March 11  Building Vibrant Communities: Prosperity, Community Capital, and Social Justice In the CSRB’s 8th annual conference, innovative practitioners and thought leaders examine how redefining the concept of “capital” to include human, economic, and ecological factors can build vibrant communities and improve well-being.

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

Mills Music Now Concerts January 30  Mills Performing Group: David Rosenboom’s Zones of Influence February 6  The Mills Percussion Ensemble and Blood Moon

be directed by Professor Carlota

February 13  In Memory of Mark Trayle

Caulfield, head of the Spanish and

February 20  Hilda Paredes, Jean Macduff Vaux Composer-in-Residence

Spanish American Studies Program at Mills, and Achy Obejas, distinguished visiting writer at Mills, and

March 10–13  Signal Flow Festival (various times and locations)

an acclaimed translator, journalist,

April 2  X-Sound Festival

and author.

April 8  Barry Douglas, Dewing Piano Recital

For two seven-day periods each year, students will live on campus to conduct immersive study, present their work, and participate in a Translation Festival, featuring readings, performances, film screenings, and conversations with master translators. The rest of the year, students will study independently under the mentorship of a master translator.

“This program will provide students with a flexible schedule, practical training, and a solid foundation and understanding of contemporary translation trends,” says Obejas.

The inaugural summer residency will be held at Mills in June 2016,

All events start at 8:00 pm (unless otherwise noted) in the Littlefield Concert Hall. $15 general, $10 to alumnae, seniors, and non-Mills students. See musicnow.mills.edu or contact Steed Cowart at 510.430.2334 or steed@mills.edu.

Songlines Series February 1  Composer Anne Hege performs work for voice and tape machine as well as for laptop orchestra.

Contemporary Writers Series February 16  Keith Hennessy A performer, choreographer, teacher, writer, and organizer, Hennessy engages in improvisation, ritual, and public action as tools for investigating political realities.

March 1  Maggie Nelson Nelson is the author of nine books of genre-bending poetry and prose, including the New York Times bestseller The Argonauts.

She is director of the MFA Creative Writing Program at CalArts.

March 15  Beth Piatote Piatote’s book, Domestic Subjects: Gender, Citizenship and Law in Native American Literature, reveals how literary works by Native American writers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries contest the force of federal Indian law and policy.

March 29  Cheena Marie Lo, MFA ’12, and Keenan Norris, MFA ’05 Lo is co-founder of the Manifest Reading and Workshop Series and author of the new book, A Series of Un/Natural/Disasters; Norris’s novel Brother and the Dancer is the winner of the James D. Houston Award for first books.

His work appears in several collections, including the forthcoming Oakland Noir.

All events are at 5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free. For program details and speaker bios, see http://www.mills.edu/english; for more information, contact 510.430.2204 or grad_eng@mills.edu.

Cheena Marie Lo

February 8  Eloquent electronicist Carl Stone performs and discusses current concerns in his work.

All events start at 7:30 pm in the Ensemble Room. Admission is free. For information see musicnow.mills.edu or contact John Bischoff at 510.430.2332 or bischoff@mills.edu.

with applications due February 1, 2016. Visit www.mills.edu/mfatranslation for more information.

Keenan Norris

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5

“I’m Ananya Roy, and I live in public housing,” declared Roy ’92, an acclaimed author and University of California professor, at the start of her TEDxBerkeley talk in 2013. “My career affords me a home in the rolling California hills with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.... The home I live in is ‘public housing’ because the tax deduction my partner and I enjoy on our mortgage is a more substantial hand-out than any money spent by the US government on what has come to be stereotyped and vilified as public housing.”

Such provocative statements are not unusual from Roy, who has emerged as one of the leading academic voices in discus-

By Dawn Cunningham ’85

sions of social justice, inequality and poverty, and international development. When Roy spoke the words above, she was professor of city and regional planning and distinguished chair of global poverty and practice at UC Berkeley. She taught an undergraduate course on global poverty that had become the largest social science class on campus, filling up with 700 students each year. She’d won multiple teaching awards, and her 2010 book, Poverty Capital: Microfinance and the Making of Development, received a prestigious national award for research that advances social justice.

She has been courted by Ivy League schools, but has remained committed to the mission of public universities— although earlier this year she was wooed away from Berkeley

by UCLA. She is now the inaugural director of the Institute on Inequality and Democracy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs as well as professor of urban planning and social welfare. It’s a position that places her at the nexus of social justice scholarship and activism.

“I love my research and doing theoretical work,” says Roy. “But the question I return to over and over again is: What is

Teaching juice Ananya Roy ’92 brings academics and activists together to delve into the complex global relationships of wealth, class, race, and gender

the role of universities in social change? How can universities participate in producing new narratives around social justice?”



The questions Roy asks about social justice first began to take shape for her at Mills. She grew up in Calcutta, “in a middleclass household where encounters with poverty were present but limited,” she says. “I was keen to leave India because going to college there would have meant a lot of intellectual obedience. I was interested in thinking independently.”

By Dawn Cunningham ’85

She considered a number of women’s colleges in the United States, but chose Mills for its West Coast location. “It was in a part of the world where I didn’t know anybody at all, where I could be truly independent,” she recalls. “So I came to Mills on

6

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

my own at the age of 18. It was an extraordinary experience.

ate capitalism. For some, it is quite simply doing good.” And

“I credit my interest in urban issues to one amazing profes-

she suggests a focus of action: “To transform dependency into

sor: Ted Thomas in the Sociology Department. He changed

self-determination is the work of poor people’s movements. To

the ways in which I thought about the world and taught me

demonstrate the dependency of the wealthy on welfare as well

how to be a social scientist. He encouraged me to reflect upon

as on the labor of the poor must be our collective work.”

my relationship to the city where I grew up; and when I did, I found myself returning consistently to the issues of poverty and inequality.”



As director of the new Institute on Inequality and Democracy

At Mills, Roy created her own major in comparative urban stud-

at UCLA Luskin, Roy can model new ways for the university

ies. She went on to earn a master’s and a doctoral degree from the

to engage in the collective work of social justice as she devel-

Department of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley. After

ops the institute’s program for research, training, and public

she joined the department’s faculty in 1999, her first task was to

outreach. She says, “I’m in the process of figuring out what

set up a new undergraduate major in urban studies.

the institute should do. One thing is to open up spaces where

She also pioneered a minor in global poverty that later

academics and activists and public intellectuals can debate

became a model for similar curricula elsewhere in the UC sys-

among themselves how best to enact social justice. For exam-

tem. “We convened students from across the disciplines—not

ple, we need a debate about whether the minimum wage is an

just from the social sciences, but also from engineering, pre-

effective way of impacting poverty. And we need to examine

med, physics, and environmental science,”

how inequality and democracy

she says. “We were training students who,

are dealt with in different parts

regardless of what they were going to do, could think critically and responsibly about how to be global citizens.” She encouraged her students to “make change from within” their

institutions—whether

universities,

“I don’t think social justice is a goal that can be fully achieved....

It’s an ideal we strive towards.”

of the world, particularly in the global south.”

Roy’s recent research focuses on evictions and foreclosures in cities around the world—includ-

raise undergraduate fees by 32 percent, and Berkeley students,



including some from her own classes, launched a series of dra-

convene folks from these movements in India, South Africa,

matic protests. Roy became a key mediator and spokesperson,

Chicago, and Los Angeles,” she notes. “One of the keynote

helping to define affordable access to public education as an

speakers will be David Simon, who created the shows The Wire,

corporations, or nations—and challenge dominant ideas about, for instance, development and poverty.

In fall 2009, many of her students took her up on the call to action right on campus. The UC Board of Regents voted to

issue of social justice.

After the protests, Roy’s audience grew to include people far beyond the campus. She was featured as the primary faculty

ing Oakland. “I’m looking at how poor people’s movements are fighting these forms of exploitation and also creating shelter, creating a right to the city,” she says. Her research will inform

the institute’s launch event in February. “We’re going to

Treme, and Show Me a Hero. We’re interested in changing the ways in which media perceptions of poverty and marginalized communities perpetuate forms of injustice.”

voice in a January 2010 New Yorker article about the Berkeley

Roy calls for “a new narrative around racial equity” in the

budget crisis. More recently, she has tapped into new channels

United States—a frequent theme in her very active Twitter feed.

for sharing critical social theory: her TEDx talks “Un(knowing)

In September she tweeted, “Most imp reading I can currently do:

Poverty” and “Power and Gender in the 21st Century” have

report just issued by the Ferguson Commission. ‘We have not

each been viewed more than 11,000 times on YouTube. And, as

moved beyond race.’” More recently she observed, “Each time I

education director at UC Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing

talk about racial dispossession I’m asked: what about class? But

Economies, Roy wrote and narrated a series of animated vid-

when I talk about class I’m not asked: what about race?”

eos for the #GlobalPov Project, which present accessible but

“Questions of social justice often get reduced to the eco-

thought-provoking questions about poverty, inequality, and

nomic,” she explains. “There are other dimensions of disad-

responsibility that can be shared through social media.

vantage and exclusion that are not purely economic. The big

In one video, “Who is Dependent on Welfare?” (which has

conversation that is happening in this country is around race.

amassed more than 900,000 views), she explains, “Inequality

Another dimension is gender. I think of social justice as much

is not natural. It is not the necessary result of the free market.

more expansive than simply economic disadvantage.

Rather it is produced systematically by policy, by the welfare

“I don’t think social justice is a goal that can be fully

that is doled out to Wall Street hedge funds and super-corpo-

achieved,” Roy adds. “It’s not an end state, in the same way

rations….” She acknowledges the diverse understandings of

that democracy is not ever a completed project. It’s an ideal we

what it means to enact social justice: “For some, the quest is

strive towards, an ideal that allows us to think about how far

for social and economic equality. For some, it is compassion-

we might be from complete social justice.”

Photo courtes y UCLA lusk in school of public affairs

◆ WINTER 2016

7

disability hunger racial equality

In a world of inequity, alumnae battle to provide rights and resources for all

poverty immigrants

By Monique Beeler & Dawn Cunningham ’85

prisoners

literacy gender water 8 

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

access

education

What is social justice?

elders

wealth

jobs

Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought. —John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, 1971

T

Nevertheless, critics of the concept of social justice, from Nobel Prize–winning economist Friedrich Hayek to conservative think tanks like the American Enterprise Institute, maintain that it is “an empty phrase with no determinable content” and that it “means anything its champions want it to mean.” They also say that any act of government to redistribute resources to the disadvantaged under the banner of social justice is an unwarranted intervention in the free market—or even a violation of individual rights.

The work of UCLA Professor Ananya Roy ’92 (see previous story) helps answer the latter criticism by pointing out ways that government policies often end up distributing resources to the most advantaged members of society. She acknowledges the diverse understandings of social justice, but suggests that its greatest usefulness is to evoke “an ideal we strive towards” rather than an “end state.”

Mills alumnae are striving towards this ideal in almost every conceivable field. They are grassroots organizers and government officials, policymakers and plaintiffs, scholars and businesspeople. Most focus their advocacy on inequality in specific areas that reflect their individual passions: education, employment, environmental sustainability, elder care, food security, healthcare, immigration, marriage equality, and prisoner’s rights and criminal justice, to name just a few.

In the following pages, we present the stories of six alumnae working for social justice and bringing about change in their communities and the world.

Nina Robinson and Kim Kerry-Tyerman demonstrate ways that social justice can be pursued through free enterprise. Jody Mock helped win a major legal victory for marriage equality. Sarah Palmer DeFrank and Esther Lucero advocate for more equal access to basic resources: food and health services. And Juniper Neill works for environmental justice as she implements government policy.

Their efforts—and the efforts of thousands of other Mills alumnae—are adding up to create a more just society for all.

—DC

environment

o live in a just society is an ideal widely shared in the Mills community, though we may not all agree on how to achieve it or where to start. For many, a just society must begin with the concept of “social justice.”

Yet social justice is a relatively new—and often controversial—idea. A 2006 United Nations report, “Social Justice in an Open World,” explains that the concept first surfaced “in the wake of the industrial revolution… as an expression of protest against what was perceived as the capitalist exploitation of labour.” But it was not widely used until the mid20th century. The philosopher John Rawls is commonly credited with developing the first theory of social justice, in 1971; for him, the concept meant having equal rights to basic liberties and opportunities, and taking care of the least-advantaged members of society.

The concept has continued to evolve as a subject of research and study as well as a rallying cry for social movements. Scholars, policymakers, and activists have examined the meaning of social justice as they confront specific areas of inequality, such as health and wealth. And the people most negatively affected by inequality—often because of race, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, or national origin—have evoked social justice in struggles to claim their rights.

Today, definitions of social justice typically contain a moral imperative to allocate resources fairly.

The 2006 United Nations report defines social justice as “the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth.” At Mills College, we define it as “a commitment to challenging social, cultural, and economic inequalities imposed on individuals arising from any differential distribution of power, resources, and privilege.” But social justice also has utilitarian value, providing the foundation for social cohesion and economic growth. Greater income equality is often associated with lower rates of violence, for example, and providing good nutrition for all improves economic productivity.

WINTER 2016

9

Investing in community explains, “But if they don’t have the personal collateral, they are viewed as too risky.

“I help them find the type of capital that values their business and their mission. I work with them to create a growth strategy, financial projections, and their investment pitch,” she says. “It is good business to take care of your people, have a diverse workplace, and improve the community around you.”

Robinson attributes her concern for social justice—as well as her musical aesthetic—to her Afro-Latina background.

“Growing up in San Diego, I saw more people of color on their way to prison than on their way to college. I saw a lot of institutional injustice, so it’s always been an important part of my personal mission to address inequality in whatever work that I do.”

After graduating from California State University San Marcos, Robinson worked for an IT consulting firm that served K-12 schools and nonprofits. She returned to school to

Nina Robinson, MBA ’11

strengthen her business and finance knowledge, choosing the MBA Program at Mills because of its focus on social innovation. While there, she landed an internship with ICA that later

B

developed into a full-time position.

y night, she’s DJ Nina Sol, a self-described “music nerd”

Today, Mills has an ongoing partnership with ICA, provid-

who serves up genre-bending mixes ranging from soul

ing classroom space for the ICA Business Institute’s courses

to hiphop, afrobeat to funk, and disco to soulful house

on startup and growth strategies for small business owners.

in venues from Oakland to South Africa.

Through the Business Institute, ICA identifies entrepreneurs

By day, she’s Nina Robinson, MBA ’11, managing director of

who want to grow and create good jobs. ICA provides them

portfolio and capital at Inner City Advisors (ICA). She advises doz-

with pro bono advising and consulting; Robinson steps in to

ens of businesses on growth strategies and manages an invest-

help them raise capital through Fund Good Jobs and other

ment portfolio that has leveraged millions of dollars in capital.

investors.

But this isn’t a tale of a split personality. A look at her play-

Among the Oakland-based companies that Robinson

lists and at the companies she’s advised reveals a singular

has assisted are Impact Hub Oakland, Red Bay Coffee, and

passion. As a DJ, she gives exposure to independent artists

Firebrand Artisan Breads. ICA and Fund Good Jobs track the

working outside the mainstream music industry. As a portfolio

performance of companies they advise and invest in, looking

manager, she helps mission-driven small businesses with rais-

not only at standard metrics such as revenue growth, but also

ing growth capital that provides financial and social returns on

at job quality indicators such as employee wages, benefits, pro-

investment. “In both these roles, I have the same commitment

motions, and the diversity and accessibility of jobs to people

to empowering my community,” she says.

facing barriers to employment.

Like many social justice professionals, Robinson seeks to

Robinson wants consumers to be aware of these metrics, too.

empower women and people of color. But in her work at ICA and

“There’s been a lot of innovation around fair trade,” she observes.

its sister organization, Fund Good Jobs, she’s using manage-

“People are thinking about the source and social impact of raw

ment consulting skills and financing strategies more typically

materials in the products they buy. It’s also important to think

associated with big business than with work that addresses

about the source of capital a business takes on, which has a big

income and wealth inequity.

impact on equitable employment and job quality.”

“I focus on entrepreneurs who are committed to creat-

Whether she’s working as DJ Nina Sol or portfolio manager

ing good jobs—jobs with a livable wage, health benefits, and

Nina Robinson, she’s doing a job that inspires her and engages

a career ladder,” she says. “Many of them, especially women

others in social justice. “So many justice issues stem from eco-

and people of color, have a difficult time accessing the capital

nomic inequality,” she says. “As you start to peel back the lay-

necessary to get to the next stage of growth.” They need larger

ers—whether it’s health, education, or a housing issue—it all

loans than microfinance institutions typically offer, Robinson

comes back to getting a good job.”

opportunity investment jobs 10

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

—DC

marriage equality civil rights community inclusion any dates stand out as momentous in the life that Jody

M

Many of the people they met through the process became

Mock ’76 has shared with her wife, Beth Kerrigan.

close friends, including some who continued the pursuit for

There’s the day the couple met 22 years ago; the day

marriage equality all the way up to last June’s Supreme Court

they bought their West Hartford, Connecticut, home; and the

decision recognizing same-sex marriage throughout the United

day they welcomed to the family their twin sons, Carlos and

States. Most years, in fact, she and Kerrigan are apt to raise a

Fernando, adopted from Guatemala.

But in order to celebrate the joy of their wedding day, the

toast on their wedding anniversary in the company of their fellow plaintiffs and their children.

couple first had to make legal history. In 2004, they served

And Mock and Kerrigan’s sons, now an athletic pair of

as lead plaintiffs in Kerrigan and Mock vs. the Connecticut

14-year-olds who keep their mothers busy bouncing between

Department of Public Health, a case that worked its way

baseball and soccer games, have learned how powerful one

through the court system for four years before it received the blessing of the state’s Supreme Court. That ruling made Connecticut the third state nationwide to legalize same-sex marriage. Approximately one year later, on November 12, 2009,

Getting to “I do”

Kerrigan and Mock finally said “I do”— a judge who ruled in the case performed the ceremony in their living room, surrounded by dozens of friends and family.

Mock and Kerrigan (pictured at right) didn’t set out to become public symbols in the battle for marriage equality, but they enthusiastically accepted the mantle when the opportunity arose. “We were both kind of activists already,” says Mock, who came of age in the era of the Women’s Rights Movement and Vietnam protests and participated in many peace demonstrations. Kerrigan grew up in a union organizing family. Mock adds that her time at Mills further strengthened her dedication to social ideals. “My college experience had a lot to do with who I am and feeling empowered as a female. It’s a foundation for being confident, being committed.”

Working with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the organization that strategized the case’s course, Mock and her family sought to show that gays and lesbians who wanted to marry were no different from other state residents.

Jody Mock ’76

“We kept saying, ‘We’re regular people.’ We just happen to be

shana sureck

two women with two kids and a mortgage and jobs.” Lending their faces to the lawsuit, Mock reasoned, would help normal-

person’s—or one couple’s—stand for equality can be. Seeing the

ize families led by same-sex spouses and advance equality in

political process in action, literally in their own living room at

general.

times, showed Carlos and Fernando that peaceful revolution is

“Equality neutralizes differences,” she says. “A lot of what civil rights and social justice are about is accepting differences, being tolerant. No culture, ethnicity, gender or sexuality should be discriminated against in any way.”

possible and has set the stage for them to effect change in the years to come.

After all, it’s a well-established family tradition. Mock and Kerrigan show us how social justice can effectively be promoted

Mock, who recently retired from a 33-year career in the

by simply participating in your community and providing a pos-

insurance industry to teach third grade, says that participating

itive example to others. “We’re very involved. We don’t believe in

in this piece of history was “amazing” and that serving as the

sitting back,” says Mock. “My wife just ran for—and won—a seat

public face of the lawsuit brought sometimes unexpected, but

on the town council. We even organize our block party.”

always gratifying, support. “While the case was going on, two

—MB

dads came up to us and asked, ‘Are you Jody and Beth? We are so proud of you.’ It brought tears to our eyes.”

WINTER 2016

11

Hungering for solutions

P

Dana dav is

ounding out veal cutlets and preparing escargot may seem an unlikely route to a career fighting hunger, but Sarah Palmer DeFrank, MPP ’14, says her lifelong rela-

tionship to food has been as multilayered as a cake, and by turns a source of joy and angst.

Case in point: her recent work as advocacy manager for the California Association of Food Banks promoting a state bill that would have raised the cash assistance benefit for seniors and people with disabilities receiving supplemental security income (SSI) to equal the federal poverty level. It would have been an important increase: SSI benefits had been slashed following the 2008 recession but, as the result of a long-ago ruling, SSI recipients do not qualify for CalFresh (formerly known as food stamps), a program proven to be the best defense against hunger.

Those low-income seniors and people with disabilities are among the staggering one in six people statewide who don’t

Sarah Palmer DeFrank, MPP ’14

know where their next meal is coming from. For children, this can lead to poor school attendance and performance; for adults it can lower workplace productivity; for everyone, it can result

University of California, Davis, to study sociology and social

in chronic and severe physical and mental health problems.

welfare policy. While waiting for a slow-to-arrive financial aid

Despite broad support for the bill from legislators and advo-

check, she lived with an unexpected roommate: hunger.

cates alike, the increases were deleted as part of the deal to

Grocery money ran out before the end of the month, and she

pass the state budget. “The California budget process has been

had only enough fruits and vegetables for her daughter—even

a cold, hard place to be,” Palmer DeFrank observes. “It took the

with supplemental food from a nearby food pantry and the fed-

wind out of my sails.”

eral nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children. As a

The sense of deflation was brief. Within weeks, Palmer DeFrank was back at the capitol for a Hunger Action Day rally, making the rounds to legislators’ offices to keep them educated and focused on hunger issues.

struggling single mom, she says, “I became even more aware of inequities in our society.”

Despite her hardships, Palmer DeFrank knew that her food insecurity was temporary; not so for individuals she’s gone on

From preparation to policy, food has long played a central

to advocate for, starting with an undergraduate fellowship with

role in Palmer DeFrank’s life. As a young child, spending qual-

the Western Center on Law and Poverty. The experience fueled

ity time with her mother meant helping out in the restaurant

her passion to find broader social solutions and led her to the

kitchens where her mother put in long hours.

Public Policy Program at Mills College.

“My mom worked in an upscale tourist region, but we cer-

“The program really helped me learn how to approach a

tainly couldn’t afford to eat at the restaurants she cooked at,”

problem,” says Palmer DeFrank, who still enjoys cooking for

she says. The same held true for her mother’s hardworking res-

her family (pictured above), including her 7- and 10-year-old

taurant colleagues and their families, none of whom received

daughters. “It helped me think about diplomacy and approach-

health insurance or paid sick days. The experience clearly illus-

ing a problem as a partner instead of as an adversary.”

trated the ties between food security and economic capability.

It’s an outlook she employs on the job with the California

Still, she thrived in the restaurant environment and, after

Association of Food Banks. Despite the setback of the ill-fated

attending culinary school, went on to work as a cook at such

bill for elderly Californians and people with disabilities, she

notable northern California venues as Greens, César, and Zazu.

counts that project as a great success in building community,

“It feels good to feed people, to nourish them,” says Palmer

bringing together like-minded organizations that plan to part-

DeFrank.

ner on future projects, such as streamlining delivery of ser-

Dishing up vegetable-laden curry, gratins, and paella for well-heeled diners was rewarding, but after the birth of her first child, the lack of affordable childcare meant she could no

vices and improving client experiences and outcomes in other social services programs.

“The hunger issue is an anti-poverty issue,” DeFrank says.

hunger food poverty

longer put in the hours restaurant work demands.

To improve her options, Palmer DeFrank enrolled at the

“Yes, people are hungry, but more broadly, people are hungry because they don’t have enough money. So anti-hunger work is anti-poverty work. I will never not advocate for improvements.”

12

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

—MB

environment conservation sustainability resources The right to thrive

F

When she was in high school, her grandfather suggested she consider Mills. She was already interested in global development and environmental issues, so she was attracted to the

ewer than 700 eastern black rhinos roam the rangelands

College’s international relations major and newly established

of Kenya today. Listed as critically endangered, these

environmental studies minor. In her junior year, she partici-

rhinos are poached for their horns, which can sell for

pated in the 1990 strike to keep Mills a women’s college. “It was

$60,000 a pound on the black market. Saving the black rhino

a pivotal experience for me,” she says. “I believed that we had a

is just one of the challenges that Juniper Neill ’91 confronts as

right to take a stand. That was my first exposure to direct civil

a Foreign Service environment officer with the US Agency for

activism, and it was profound.”

International Development (USAID).

After college, Neill worked in environmental consulting for

Based in Nairobi, Neill directs the USAID office respon-

six years, then served with the Peace Corps in Ukraine as an

sible for advancing critical environmental policy objectives

environment volunteer. She completed a master’s in interna-

in Kenya and East Africa, including the US Global Climate

tional affairs and environmental policy at Columbia University,

Change Initiative and the USAID Biodiversity Policy. Besides

and went on to manage climate change research programs at

rhino protection, her work supports such efforts as helping

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In

local authorities manage ecosystems and water resources in

2005, she joined USAID, working in Afghanistan, Ethiopia,

the Lake Victoria Basin; funding research into new technolo-

Tanzania, and across Asia before landing in Kenya.

gies to combat wildlife trafficking; and helping people prepare

This global trajectory has brought environmental justice

for extreme weather caused by El Niño as well as long-term

issues into sharp focus for her. “In Ukraine, I remember chil-

climate change.

dren made sick from the remaining pollution of the Chernobyl

What do these environmental programs have to do with

nuclear accident,” she says. “It was a stark reality of the impact

social justice? Plenty, Neill points out. “My current work is

of a major environmental disaster.” In her work with USAID,

linked with issues of tribal land rights, anti-corruption, decen-

she has witnessed how “unsustainable global consumption,

tralization of governance, gender equity, and countering vio-

greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution have resulted in a

lent extremism and poverty.”

planet-wide depletion of natural resources and an irreversible

For instance, the biodiversity policy Neill is implementing

shift in our climate.

is as much focused on community empowerment and poverty

“Sometimes the challenges of working on environmental

reduction as on wildlife conservation. One of the most success-

issues can seem insurmountable,” Neill says. “But I’ve seen so

ful ways to protect black rhinos and other wildlife is to estab-

many tremendous examples of positive change that it helps me

lish “community conservancies.” USAID-funded conservancies

to believe that we can change our course, because we must.”

empower farming and pastoral families to manage their own

—DC

resources sustainably, conduct anti-poaching patrols, and host wildlife sanctuaries, which bring income from tourism. “The heart of this model is really community ownership, governance, accountability, and sustainability,” says Neill.

“All people, and our planet, have basic rights, not just to survive, but to thrive,” she says. “Everyone has a right to clean water and air, and to unpolluted soils, crops, and fisheries.

Environmental justice is part of a broader social justice agenda.

It’s about equity of resources for all people.”

Neill’s commitment to environmental and social justice runs in her family. Her grandfather, Denny Wilcher, was a lifelong activist for social and environmental justice and founded the Alaska Conservation Federation in 1980. Neill, who spent much of her youth in Alaska, says, “I remember helping him in the first, small headquarters, doing everything necessary to get a fledgling organization up and running. Being exposed to this kind of activism in my early years showed me that ideas are worth pursuing and that anything is possible with hard work.”

Juniper Neill ’91

Dana dav is

Restoring the balance

W

hen Esther Lucero ’09, MPP ’10, won a national sales award, one more achievement in her skyrocketing retail management career, she found the triumph

disturbingly unfulfilling.

“I called my mom that night and told her ‘I’m just not happy,’’” Lucero recalls. “She said to me, as only a Navajo mom can: ‘That’s because you’re not doing anything for your community.’”

Those words struck home for Lucero, who explains that Navajo culture emphasizes connectedness and giving back, not wealth, as central to one’s success.

“We believe we are just a small component of what makes this world whole,” she says. “We have a responsibility to live life with reciprocity at the core of our existence.”

She walked away from her retail career and decided to serve the American Indian community by pursuing a career in medicine. She excelled in pre-med studies at City College of San Francisco and worked as a case manager for the Native American AIDS Project. One young man’s case there, she says, exemplified deeper problems. “He had HIV as well as substance

Esther Lucero ’09, MPP ’10

abuse issues. He had been homeless for seven years, and had just received Section 8 housing assistance.” She found him an apartment, but he didn’t hold on to it for long.

she says. Although relatively few in number within the gen-

His story illustrates a cycle of instability that she saw fre-

eral population, urban Indians suffer disproportionately poor

quently, often because individuals did not receive adequate

health outcomes, including low birthweight and communica-

treatment for what she calls “core problems,” such as poverty,

ble diseases. “Only 1 percent of the entire national health bud-

depression, and even survivor guilt. Such problems stem from

get goes to urban Indians. We end up being forced into other

historical trauma, she says, and need to be addressed holisti-

systems where we are invisible.”

cally rather than as separate, independent issues.

Since completing her MPP, Lucero has been a lecturer on

Facing such challenges and inequities, Lucero altered course

American Indians at Bay Area colleges and has worked in

once more. “I just wasn’t sure I was going to make enough impact

policy positions with the Native American Health Center

with 15-minute, one-on-one patient appointments,” she says.

and the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health. Last

She transferred to Mills, where she carved out her own major in Native American studies and earned a master’s in public pol-

September, she became chief executive officer of the Seattle Indian Health Board.

icy. Her goal was to forge systemic changes that will help larger

She continues to use a dog-eared textbook on federal Indian

populations—specifically, one often neglected group: American

law from her undergraduate years. “It’s my job to find loopholes

Indians living in urban settings.

in the government’s legal agreements with American Indians

Lucero observes that members of the urban Indian community frequently grapple with common sets of health and

to promote justice for my community, so we can assert ourselves and attain self-determination,” Lucero says.

economic challenges. At Mills, she learned that, in exchange

It’s not enough to make sure American Indians receive

for ancestral lands American Indians surrendered in long-ago

health services they are entitled to in their health centers spe-

treaties, the federal government promised to provide health

cifically catering to their community. Her advocacy and the

care, food, and education to native peoples. But many of these

organizations she serves also help ensure that culturally rel-

services require ties to the reservation system, while fewer

evant health practices—such as talking circles, sweat lodges,

than 30 percent of American Indians nationwide live on reser-

and consultations with traditional healers—are available, and

vations. In California, only about 10 percent do. This leaves the

that clinics can bill for and receive insurance reimbursement

majority of Native Americans living far from those mandated

for cultural practices.

services. Lucero herself, for instance, is a third-generation

“It’s impossible to work for American Indian people without

urban Indian who has never experienced life on a reservation.

working for social justice. For me, it’s a way of life, a way of

“When it comes to tribal health services, urbans are left out,”

mending the circle. My passion is about restoring the balance.”

14

healthcare advocacy community

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

—MB

responsibility volunteerism giving back K

philanthropic

It’s a win-win situation, she adds. The nonprofits gain valu-

matchmaker. She has access to an ample supply of

able expertise to advance their mission, and the employees find

well-educated, talented, technologically savvy workers—

personal, meaningful reward.

im

Kerry-Tyerman,

MPP

’12,

is

a

employees of software giant Adobe—and ties to dozens of com-

And for the corporation? While it’s easy to question the

munity organizations in need of skilled volunteers. Her job, as

motives of any profit-driven company, the benefits of such pro-

part of Adobe’s corporate responsibility department, links those

grams—which can range from pro bono service to charitable

professionals and nonprofits for the benefit of all.

financial contributions to a commitment to environmental

In one example, Kerry-Tyerman matched a graphic designer

sustainability—extend far beyond the bottom line. There are

with Blue Planet Network, an international nonprofit dedicated

excellent public relations opportunities, of course, but propo-

to increasing communities’ access to clean water. Blue Planet

nents also point to greater staff morale, productivity, and reten-

was having a hard time explaining the nuances of its work to

tion; better relationships with partner organizations; and cost

the public, so the corporate volunteer drew on his media tech-

savings from sustainable production processes. In fact, corpo-

nology skills to create a series of “what we do” videos for the

rate responsibility departments in Fortune 1000 companies are

organization. The project was such a success and Blue Planet

expanding in scope, focus, and resources, and many compa-

was so grateful, Kerry-Tyerman says, that the designer was

nies now define their goals to focus on a “triple bottom line” of

motivated to increase his involvement and has pursued train-

people, planet, and profit.

ing to become a nonprofit board member.

“It’s exciting to see what once was an emerging field become

“It’s all about motivating people to be civic servants,” she

absolutely standard,” Kerry-Tyerman says, adding that many of

says. “My main responsibility is to inspire change agents: when

her department’s activities, such as encouraging more women

you give volunteers the encouragement and resources, they

and people of color to pursue high-tech education and careers,

can move mountains.”

strive to ease societal inequities. It’s another issue that, in the long run, stands to benefit a company that

Facilitating philanthropy

will need competent and diverse workers in the future.

Working

in

corporate

responsibility

would have seemed an unexpected career choice to a younger Kerry-Tyerman, a lifelong singer who majored in theater as an

Dana dav is

undergrad. Looking back, however, she says that it seems almost inevitable. Her first post-college job fundraising for a professional theater company was followed by an overseas service trip to assist a rural girls’ school in Ghana and a year with the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America program. These experiences sealed her commitment to social responsibility work and led her to a Mills MPP. At Mills, she says, “I was introduced to lots of new thinking, groups of people I had never thought about, and policies I hadn’t considered before.”

Today she believes that corporate responsibility and social justice encompass a collective responsibility to each other that extends beyond the present moment. “Responsibility is a great term to think about,” she says. “Who are you responsible for? Some companies may have a narrow view, but we all

Kim Kerry-Tyerman, MPP ’12

have broader responsibilities, even outside our daily lives and beyond the present day. How are we as society taking care of future generations?”

◆

—MB

WINTER 2016

15

Alumnae awards go to gifted graduates

T

he alumnae awards ceremony and class luncheon is always a highlight of Reunion weekend. While gathering classmates remember when they met, learned, and played together, the event also celebrates graduates for their noteworthy accomplishments since leaving this green campus.

Katie-jo Donnell Ramirez, Mills President Alecia DeCoudreaux, Molissa Fenley, Annette Chan-Norris, and AAMC President Lucy Do.

Distinguished Achievement Award

Outstanding Volunteer Award

Molissa Fenley ’75 earned this year’s Distinguished Achieve-

With a steadfast dedication to the concept of women’s col-

ment Award for her lifelong success as an artist who has trans-

leges, Annette Chan-Norris ’65 first volunteered as an alumna

formed the world of dance. Fenley first became fascinated with

admissions representative in 2001, helping to recruit students

the movement of the body during her youth in Nigeria and

in the New York area. Since that time, she has also been a driv-

Spain, and her work is notable for its exuberant physicality and

ing force as co-chair of the Mills College Club of New York,

athleticism. She founded Molissa Fenley and Company in New

organizing a full calendar of social events as well as cultivat-

York in 1977 and has also performed extensively as a soloist,

ing support for the Tri-State Scholarship Fund. Annette and her

often working in collaboration with visual artists, poets, and

husband, Evan, have contributed generously to the College’s

composers.

mission: they have established a scholarship, in memory of

In the course of her career, Fenley has danced on every con-

her parents, to support a Mills student studying science and

tinent except Antarctica. She has created more than 80 works;

technology, as well as the Endowed Visiting Professorship in

her dances Cenotaph (1985) and State of Darkness (1988) both

Science and Technology. Margot Jones Mabie ’66, co-chair of

earned the Bessie Award for choreography. Her work has been

the New York Club, says Chan-Norris is “the ideal volunteer:

commissioned by numerous contemporary dance and ballet

thoughtful, creative, energetic, interested in other people, and

companies, including the American Dance Festival, the Ohio

willing to do the work.”

Ballet, the Australian Dance Theatre, the Deutsche Oper Ballet of Berlin, and the National Ballet School of Canada. She has

Recent Graduate Award

been named a Guggenheim Fellow, a fellow of the American

As a student, Katie-jo Donnell Ramirez ’07 was deeply

Academy in Rome, a fellow of the Bogliasco Foundation, and a

involved in life on campus and beyond: she rowed with the

master artist of the Atlantic Center of the Arts.

crew team, earned the Myrt Whitcomb Leadership Award, and

Fenley remains strongly connected to Mills. Each spring she

taught writing at local nonprofits before graduating with a BA

is in residence on campus, where she is the Danforth Professor

in English. So it’s no surprise that, when she moved to Chicago

of Dance; she received the Sarlo Excellence in Teaching Award

to complete her master’s degree in education, she would con-

in 2011. While in New York, she is a regular participant in

tinue to contribute in many ways. Ramirez became one of the

activities of the Mills College Club of New York.

founding members and lead educators at Legal Prep Charter Academy, a legal-themed high school in one of the nation’s most underserved neighborhoods. She became an active member of the Mills College Club of Chicago and has served as branch president since 2013, creating opportunities for Chicago alumnae to socialize, network, and provide service.

16

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

Photo by teresa ta m

Reunion 2015: Class photos

1940 Frances Colby Allee

1950 Mimi Glide

1955 Leal Davidson Portis, Sue Ann Coopman Peterson

Class of 1965 50th Reunion Top row: Alex Orgel Moses, Molly Upton, Jan Herrmann North, Ann Waterman, Suzy Mygatt Wakefield, Kristin Keaton, KerryLynn Blau Williams, Martha Hutson Saxton, Barbara Kovacic McCoy, Jean MacQuiddy, Sue Mannon O’Connor, Lynne Lee Ehlers Sixth row: Cari Newman Vieregg, Linda Dyer Millard, Mona Simmons Whitley, Caroline Lewis Burton, Melinda Mills Lee, Lily Ning Prentiss, Leigh Leingang Fabens, Marion

Photos by bruce cook and dana dav is

Locke-Paddon Carter, Lynn Williams Wilson, Sally Tomlinson, Cappy Coates Fifth row: Lynn Appleton Hartley, Kristin Ritter Carver, Beth Conley Klem, Judy Offord Kennedy, MA ’78, Barbara Berendsen Capron, Donna Miller Bestock, Tracey Franklin Corbett, Florence Owens Dodington, Susan Barbee Gagnon, Nita del Regato Peters Fourth row: Jan Miller White, Susan Sprague Hamilton, Jill Bluethenthal Cody, Ann Rubenstein Zerin, Merti

Fillmore Walker, Susan Zimmerman Whitney, Amy BuckinghamFlammang, Ann Dempsey Fink, Kay Chalmers Kewley, Catherine Hillard, Peggy Weber Third row: Donna Hamer, Norma Levy, Cessna Glen Kaye, Nancy Josephs Leneis, Estrellita Hudson Redus, MFA ’75, Lyn Flanigan, Deri Craven Bowen, Lynda Fine Filson, Sarah Yantis Plunkett, Carol Hanagan Kavalaris, Barbara Ahmajan Wolfe Second row: Bonny McFadden Henderson, Jean Frank Hicks,

Margaret Clarke, Sabra Black Hoffman, Sophia Hughes, Ceci Ashley Wells, Gretchen Stainbrook Givens, Decky Stern Thornton, Sharon Young Woo, Marsha Adams, Linda Long Reiser Front row: Sharon Quirk Anderson, Josephine Patrick Rappaport, Marilyn Schuster, Joan Gutman Falender, Carol Tucker Trelease, Corinne Hamada Tan, Marianne Corriero Polk, Susan Titman Fuller, Annette Chan-Norris, Gail Church Palmer, Willa Berliner Anderson

WINTER 2016

17

Reunion 2015: Class photos

1975

1960 Top row: Elaine Marshall Long, Barbara Cook Barnes, Judy Greenwood Jones, Joy Glascock Harvey, Cara Bradbury Second row: Judy Rapp Smith, Ilene Berk Medovich, Ann Markewitz, Yuri Chiamori Mok, Diane Boson Holt, Sue Stanton Smegal, Mary Haynes Brent Front row: Rebecca Loehr, Marian Brischle, Diana Birtwistle Odermatt, Shirley Wong Frentzel, Betty Anne Wong, Georgi Criswell Heitman, Cornelia Young

1970 Top row: Catherine Ladnier, Mary Belle Bloch Royer, Lucie Van Breen Mewes, Elizabeth Ambuhl Front row: Gail Myers, Debbie Zambianco, Mei Kwong, Julia Harby Murray

18

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

Top row: Sue McKinney, Judith Gottlieb, Vicki DuVall Luibrand, Janet Lorenz, Elizabeth Cairns-Mirza, Janis Ewing Adams, Louise Hurlbut Third row: Catrelia Rikki Magee, MA ’75, Debi Wood, Lucy Boyd Adams, Marian Hirsch, Gwen Griffiths Serriere, Lesli MacNeil Second row: Lynette Castille-Hall, Barbara Sachanko Dalmau, Kathy Swartout Wong, Cathy Robinson Ross, Molly Fannon Williams, Beth Nussbaum Majchrzak, Nancy Lembke Brenn Front row: Yvonne Hom Lee, Yvonne Payne Daniel, MA ’75, Reyes Guerrero Briones, Idelisa Alvarez Garcia, Lucy Do, Lydia Tong Gan, Edythe Anderhous Heda

1980 Top row: Stephanie McCoy, MFA ’00, Alfreda Stephens Abdul-Ahad, Carol Strawn, Anna Wilkins Henderson, Cynthia Steffensen Bailey, Victoria Selden-Schroebel, Robina Royer Second row: Mary Burns Gonzales, Katherine DeHart Hale, Carol Leland Zischke, MBA ’05, Susan Thomas, Robin Martinez Rice, Kathleen Roskos Front row: Marianne Gray Johnson, Pat Jenkins Weisel, Sharon Tatai, Nanette Chadwick

1990 1985 Top row: Liz Parker, Dawn Cunningham, Gina Salaices Ney, Ann Brevig Dudley, Debra Connick Front row: Melora Gardner Scharf, Cathy Foster Koko, Sabrina Tompkins Stewart, Kim Bandel

1990 Top row: Janet Boone MacEachern, Lisa Kremer, Keri Sweet Richards, Robyn Fisher, EdD ’15, Leah Zippert, Nancy Foster Sackett-Goss, Marady Conner Hill, Robin Sackett Smith, Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk Fourth row: Karri Donahue, Leslie Cooper Parsons, Rosaleen Butler Sturlini Third row: Angela Noble, Anissa Alston, Kimberley Sweet, Esther Barragan, Donna Nishiyama Chan, Joyce Fung-Yee, Rosemary Kim, Kelly Ryan, Alison Loebel, Teri Rodabough Moy Second row: Chana Feinstein, Espie Creighton, Angelique Di Schino Felgentreff, Kellidee Little, Carmen Hartono, Laura Mameesh, Jennifer Floyd DeBord, Lisa Connell-Crowley, Leslie Woodhouse, Denise Griffith Rusk Front row: Beth Terhune, Peri Weissglass Drake, Annick Ma, Sally Moses, Mitra Lohrasb Michnik, Nicole Baird Bates, Melissa Noble Horton, Barbara Needell

1995 Top row: Annika Dukes (with Graham), Celsa Garcia, Laina Worth, Angela Scarlett, Caroline Thompson, Christy Herron, Kandi Lancaster, Cynthia Mahood Levin, Aimee Evans Second row: Jennifer Mack, Kimberlee Garfinkle MacVicar, Carrye De Mers, Bethannee Crabtree Witczak, Margaret Lane-Broussard Front row: Katherine Sanderson Gray, Larissa Brown Shapiro, Kimberlee CurransLeto, Mary Ann Gutierrez, Marcie Jones, Catherine Jeon

2000 Lynda Campfield, MA ’02

2005 Top row: Megan Miller, Vala Burnett, Rita Stuckey, MA ’01, EdD ’05, Athena Davis, MBA ’08 Front row: Xu Wang, MBA ’07, Janice Pettis Thomas, Miriam Tibayan Ready

2010 Susan Wells, Katya Svizeva, MBA ’11, Kelsey Lindquist

2015 Leah Holtz

To purchase prints of these or other class photos, go to www.luzography.com/clients/mills2015

Class Notes do not appear in the online edition of Mills Quarterly.

Alumnae are invited to share their news with classmates in the Mills College alumnae community.

To submit notes for publication in the next available Quarterly, send your update to classnotes@mills. edu.

Class Notes do not appear in the online edition of the Mills Quarterly.

Alumnae are invited to share their news with classmates in the Mills College Alumnae Community, alumnae.mills.edu. To submit notes for publication in the next available Quarterly, send your update to classnotes@mills.edu.

In Memoriam Notices of death received before September 30, 2015

Jane Cudlip King ’42

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

Jane Cudlip King knew enough about Mills traditions that she practically was one herself. For more than 30 years, she recounted lore and legend on her famed “Jane’s Stroll,” a walking tour of campus conducted each year during Reunion. But her dedication to Mills also found expression throughout the year in countless roles.

In 2007, the Alumnae Association of Mills College recognized her with the inaugural Outstanding Alumna Volunteer Award for her dedication and service. A knowledgeable leader in governance, she was alumna trustee from 1975 to 1983 and was designated a lifetime member of the AAMC Board of Governors after working in many capacities over the past four decades. She also has been a key organizer of the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club’s successful house tour fundraisers and a leading figure in student recruitment.

Alumnae Elizabeth “Lid” Bryant Miles ’34, August 14, in Princeton, New Jersey.

While living in Orinda, California, she directed many children’s theater performances; as a resident of Old Greenwich, Connecticut, she was active in the Riverside Yacht Club, Garden Club, and the Alumnae Association of Mills College. She moved to Princeton in 1995. Survivors include her son and two grandchildren.

Vera Friis Thomas ’37, June 13, 2014, in Yosemite Lodge, California.

Joan Brambila David ’39, January 5, in Seaside, Oregon.

Edythe “Dee” Minaden Grant ’40, November 29, 2014, in Modesto, California.

Marion Alexander Peterson ’40, March 24, 2014, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Harriette Buckner Coret ’41, September 24, in Miami Beach, Florida.

A psychologist for the US Army Air Corps and the Mental Health Association of St. Louis, she wrote four books and several dozen magazine stories about teenagers and adults dealing with mental health issues. She is survived by two sons, a stepson, and six grandchildren.

Known for her wit and incisiveness, she was a strong proponent of education in her local community as well, retiring just this past June after providing a half century of volunteer service at Menlo-Atherton High School. She also successfully led two bond measures for Sequoia High School District.

King passed away on October 7 in Menlo Park, California. She is survived by her son, Bruce; daughter, Nancy Coblentz Patch ’80; and six grandchildren.

Audrey Anderson Roe ’42, November 23, 2014, in Fremont, California.

Survivors include her husband, David.

Mary Nelson Tanner, MA ’42, March 7, 2013, in Chestertown, Maryland.

She lived in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, for more than 40 years, where she served as president of the Lawrence Township Conservation Foundation and became the first woman elected to the Lawrence Township Council.

She is survived by two children and five grandchildren.

Ethelmae Stibbs Haldan ’44, June 24, 2013, in San Mateo, California.

She was a cracker-jack domino player, a superb needlepoint artist, and a supporter of many charitable organizations. She is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.

Barbara Bissell Morison ’44, June 21, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She performed overseas with the American Red Cross and in local theater and choral groups, taught elementary school, recorded for the blind, and served on the board of Episcopal Homes. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren.

Jane Bruce Cheadle ’46, June 27, in Oceanside, California. She was a math professor at Cal State Fullerton and Fullerton College, managed the Fullerton College Foundation, and helped establish the Oceanside Library Foundation. She is survived by her husband, George; two children; and seven grandchildren.

Esther Lo Chinn ’47, May 17, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Marion Bockelie Bayes ’48, August 1, in Pensacola, Florida. She was an accomplished classical pianist and world traveler. She is survived by two children and three grandchildren.

Patricia Coan Ringer ’49, July 2, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was a lifelong supporter of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Planned Parenthood, the Animal Humane Society, and Washburn Center for Children. She is survived by two daughters, three stepchildren, and two grandchildren.

WINTER 2016

25

Gifts in Memory of Received June 1–August 31, 2015

Steven Miller, MFA ’89, by Angelique Di Schino Felgentreff ’90

Joan Dreyer Allen ’62 by Laurel Burden ’68

Estora Ricks Moe by her daughter, Rebecca Miller-Moe, P ’17

Nancy Van Norman Baer ’66 by her husband, Alan Baer

Tony and Oletta Morency by Virginia Morency Rich ’73

Anthony Bianco by his wife, Mary Bianco ’15, P ’88

Louise Shumway Muhler ’41 by Jean Morgan Randall ’41

Richard Bryant, husband of Barbara Bryant ’50, by Laurel Burden ’68, Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae

Thomas and Isabel Schemel Mulcahy ’44 by Barbara Hunter ’57

Katie Dudley Chase ’61 by Ann Gordon Bigler ’61, Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk ’90, Bonnie Keene, Donna Riback ’61

Ricardo Quiogue by his neice, Arlene Quiogue ’91

Jane Bruce Cheadle ’46 by Lucile Pedler Griffiths ’46, MA ’47, P ’75, Helen Barbour Poindexter ’46, Paula Merrix Sporck ’46

Anna Murch by Lyn McCracken, MFA ’95

Mary-Lee Lipscomb Reade ’41 by Jean Morgan Randall ’41

Esther Lo Chinn ’47 by Betty Chu Wo ’46

Herb Reuter, brother of Bonnie Reuter Leaver ’58, by Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae

Elizabeth Abreu Cravalho ’60 by Betty Anne Mathewson Mahoney ’60

Melinda Singleton Robinson ’62 by Meg Patten Eaton ’62

Susan Marks Craven ’63 by Leslie Stein Selcow ’63

J. Roussel Sargent by Susan Anderson ’84, Cordelia Chang ’65, Elizabeth Johnson ’84, Jacquelyn Jagger Parsons ’52

Phyllis Rawlins Drayton ’58 by Nancy Bartoo Whittle ’58, MA ’63 Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45, by Muffy McKinstry Thorne ’48 Christopher Jarvis by Susan Anderson ’84

Mary Van Beuren Seavey ’70 by Susan Schumacher Morris ’70 Anne Sherrill by Elizabeth Terhune ’90

Rebecca Davidson Karlson ’69 by her husband, Douglas Karlson

Leda Soffran Silver ’68 by Elaine Wong Chew ’68, Francisca de Larios Hansen ’68, Carol Press Pristoop ’69

Esther Rosenblatt Landa ’33, MA ’37, by Molly Fairbank Grassi ’59

Andrea Menefee Singh ’65 by Peggy Weber ’65, P ’02

Charles Larsen by Elizabeth Terhune ’90

Frances Fohs Sohn ’40 by Frances Colby Allee ’40

Marilee Norling Martel ’53 by her husband, Leon Martel

Beverly Bostick Solo ’51 by Joan Thompson Armstrong ’51, P ’95, Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51, P ’75, Jeanne Thomas ’51

Sara Rand McCulloch ’40 by Martha Mitchell Ed McKeown, husband of Marie Pettibone McKeown ’47, by Ann Thomas Jones ’47, Jacquelyn Jagger Parsons ’52

Eric Sutton by Rose Sutton, MPP ’12

Ann McNabb ’62 by Meg Patten Eaton ’62, Teresa Urrutia ’62

Tomoye Tatai, mother of Sharon Tatai ’80, by Sheryl Bize-Boutte ’73, Mills College Club of New York

L. Bruce Meyer by KerryLynn Blau-Williams ’65

Allan Wendt by Constance Gilbert ’61, Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63, P ’84

Elizabeth Bryant Miles ’34 by Alison Peer Haney ’53

Thomas Wolfe, husband of Barbara Ahmajan Wolfe ’65, by Peggy Weber ’65, P ’02

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

Miriam Parke Balding ’50, July 30, in Houston. A 40-year resident of Annandale, Virginia, she was active with the Episcopal church and was an avid card player. She is survived by two children and five grandchildren.

Harriett Jane Dibble, MA ’50, September 8, 2014, in Groton, Connecticut.

Mary Rita Saxton Crittenden, MA ’52, March 28, in Palo Alto, California.

She received her PhD from the California School of Professional Psychology in 1977 and had a notable career at the University of California, San Francisco, ultimately serving as chief psychologist in adolescent medicine and professor of clinical pediatrics until retiring in 2003. She is survived by Rod, her husband of nearly 60 years; three children; and seven grandchildren.

Louise Neale Greene ’52, July 19, in Houston.

26

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

Suzanne Biggs Stables ’54, June 27, in Bellevue, Washington. She graduated from the University of Washington Law School and practiced law before becoming assistant prosecutor for King County and, later, district court judge for Mercer Island. Survivors include a daughter and a grandson.

Barbara Newman Kines ’55, June 10, in Baltimore. She is survived by three children and seven grandchildren.

Judith Ireland ’56, August 21, in San Rafael, California. A former member of the AAMC Board of Governors, she was dedicated to the arts and was a patron to numerous charitable organizations. She is survived by three children.

Mary McGehee Janssen ’57, July 29, in Pebble Beach, California. She had a lifelong love of animals and explored the trails and beaches with her horse, Johnny. She also owned and bred championship dogs. She is survived by several members of her extended family.

Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45 A gifted pianist and a tireless volunteer, Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45, contributed her efforts and energy in support of Mills for more than 70 years until her passing on August 11 in Oakland.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, Evans came to Mills and studied with renowned French composer Darius Milhaud. She then headed the Mills Music Training School until 1964 and was a highly effective fundraiser on behalf of the College and the Alumnae Association of Mills College. Evans was elected to two terms as alumna trustee on the College’s board; held all offices of the Oakland-Berkeley Branch, Mills College Alumnae Association; and served as president of the AAMC Board of Governors, of which she was named an honorary lifetime member. In 2009, the AAMC recognized her with the Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Endlessly energetic and possessed of a profound social conscience, she volunteered for the Council of Social Planning, the Music Teachers’ Association, the Piedmont Music Foundation, the Oakland Museum, and the Berkeley Tennis Club, serving on its board of directors and playing tennis into her 80s. She took a water aerobics class at the YWCA in Oakland until she was 92 and continued to teach piano lessons well into her 90s.

She is survived by a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren.

Cleo Leavitt Lemire ’58, June 11, in Kirkland, Washington. She was dedicated to her family and served as a tournament director and umpire for the US Tennis Association. She is survived by five children and 10 grandchildren.

Deborah Cruzen Murray ’59, May 28, in Ross, California. A talented and published interior designer, she was a sustainer of the San Francisco Junior League, a board member of the Marin Art and Garden Center, and a member of the Francisca Club in San Francisco. She is survived by her son and her sister.

Dorothy Loudon Owre ’60, August 26, 2014, in Hackensack, Minnesota.

She is survived by her husband, Roderick.

Katie Dudley Chase ’61, August 9, in Westport, Connecticut. She worked as a copy editor and was president of the Mills College Club of New York, the Westport Young Woman’s League, and Staples High School PTA. For 15 years, she served the Westport Historical Society in numerous roles.

Survivors include her husband, Bill; a son; and two grandchildren.

Lynne Ehrenborg Lytle ’61, December 16, 2014, in Azusa, California.

Survivors include her husband, Fulton.

Sonya “Sunny” Lever Murray ’61, in Laguna Woods, California.

Louisa Schermerhorn Carter ’62, July 17, in Sun Valley, California. She and her family restored a Victorian home in Fort Bragg, California. She later volunteered at the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens in Santa Rosa and was a member of the Native Plant Society. She is survived by three daughters and six grandchildren.

Susan Marks Craven ’63, August 6, in Austin, Texas. She served on the school board in Corpus Christi, was a member of the Texas Governor’s Select Committee on Education, and executive director of Texans Care for Children and the Texas Association of Infant Mental Health. She is survived by her husband, Don; three children; and four grandchildren.

Sally Short Lowe ’65, December 8, 2014, in Eugene, Oregon.

Judith McGhee ’76, March 5, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. She received her medical degree from the University of Oklahoma and served as medical director for the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

Survivors include her sister.

Linda Pietron Dobbins ’82, December 2, 2014, in Oakland, California.

Marjorie Christensen ’85, MA ’90, June 24, in Los Angeles, California.

She was a Mills College staff member until 2004 and was active in AAUW. Beth Bornholdt, MFA ’89, May 12, in Avoca, Iowa. She had a career as a professional piano player. Survivors include her mother and two sisters.

Spouses and Family Peter Hannaford, husband of Irene Harville Hannaford ’54, September 5, in Eureka, California.

Jake Ours, husband of Nicole Estep Ours ’65, June 16, in Santa Rosa, California.

Tomoye Tatai, mother of Sharon Tatai ’80, June 13, in Oakland, California.

WINTER 2016

27

Dance partners, lab partners

L

hree dancers swirl in tandem, their graceful movements accentuated by long, full skirts and bright flo-

ral shawls. Music fills the air as they step to the gentle rhythm of a Philippine love serenade, played by a rondalla

string ensemble. Their polished teamwork isn’t surprising—they’ve been dancing together since they met as first-year students at Mills. What is surprising is that this dance began in chemistry class.

Rhani Bigay ’14 met Honomi Ijima ’14, an environmental science major, on the first day of chemistry lab; and she got to know biology major Kelly Wong ’14 in the dance building between classes. Since that fortuitous crossing of paths, Bigay says, the three friends have been lab partners, study buddies, and dancers together.

For Bigay, who minored in dance, the combination of dance and science makes perfect sense. “Because studying the sciences is extremely heady and sedentary, it is crucial to have an artistic, stressrelieving physical activity,” she says, so the friends came up with the idea of the

Kelly Wong, Rhani Bigay, and Honomi Ijima

“dancing scientists.”

“Some people think that scientists at

the

Filipino-American

science at Merrit College in Oakland.

don’t have any artistic agency,” Bigay

Dancers

adds. “But scientists are not just stuck

Pistahan Festival in San Francisco.

to their books with two left feet. At the

(Maganda is the Tagalog word for

Tradicion Rondalla to reconstruct his-

same time, dance is more than just frilly

“beautiful.”)

torically accurate Philippine dances in

And

Bigay

is

working

with

the

fun; it can be a theoretical and scholarly

Today, in addition to performing with

order to educate the public about tradi-

area of research.” Universal to all cul-

her friends, Wong works as a behavioral

tional Philippine dance and culture (for

tures, dance provides extensive informa-

interventionist with youth on the autism

information, contact her via the alum-

tion about cultural history, fashion, and

spectrum, attends City College of San

nae community, alumnae.mills.edu). She

social structure, she says. “And when

Francisco, and is exploring potential

has a further goal of pursuing a graduate

paired with a music tradition, there is

careers in biology. Ijima, who is also a

degree in dance ethnography.

even more data to evaluate.”

talented cellist, conducted a post-gradu-

“When you pursue both science and

Bigay, Ijima, and Wong performed in

ation year of research with Kristina Faul,

dance, your brain and body are a whole

Dance Department events their sopho-

professor of geochemistry and environ-

team and satisfied,” says Bigay. “You

more and junior years and, in August,

mental geology at Mills, and is now taking

exude a happy spirit, and that happiness

debuted

additional coursework in environmental

is contagious.” ◆

28

as

the

Maganda

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

Filipinas

June 1–9, 2016

Tuscany

Experience the charm and romance of Tuscany in the company of President DeCoudreaux as she concludes her tenure as head of Mills College.

Discover the architectural treasures of Florence, Siena, and Chianti; savor the region’s famed cuisine with a farm visit, wine tasting, and a private cooking demonstration; and enjoy special educational programs that illuminate this region’s rich history.

with President Alecia DeCoudreaux

Other 2016 destinations include: European Cruise • Alaska • North Sea Circle Cruise • Oxford, England • Southern Africa • Machu Picchu • Cuba

Alumnae tr avel 2016

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

Nominate the next alumna trustee Make your voice heard on the Mills College Board of Trustees and the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) Board of Governors.

All alumnae are invited to nominate themselves or other alumnae as candidates for the position of alumna trustee for the 2016–2019 term.

Alumnae trustees serve a three-year term both on the Board of Governors of the AAMC and the College’s Board of Trustees and are expected to participate on committees on both boards. Interested candidates will find additional information on the responsibilities of the position and how to apply on the “Leadership” section of the AAMC website, aamc.mills.edu.

Submissions are due January 15, 2016, to AAMC Nominating Committee Chair Pierre Loving ’77 at aamc@mills.edu or AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613.

Submissions are due January 15, 2016

Mills Quarterly Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd.

Oakland, CA 94613-1301 510.430.3312 quarterly@mills.edu www.mills.edu

On view at the Mills College Art Museum GROUP F.64 December 2, 2015– May 29, 2016 Featuring work from the museum’s permanent collection, this studentcurated exhibition examines the work of innovative photographers who pioneered straight photography as an art form.

The exhibition includes images by Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, and Edward Weston, among others, who formed Group f. 64 in Oakland in 1932.

Museum hours Brett Weston, Dune, 1934

upcoming

Can We Live Here? Stories from a Difficult World January 20–March 13, 2016 Photographer Youngsuk Suh and writer Katie Peterson create new work in a collaboration featuring photography, video, and performance to examine the complicated nature of human involvement in managing natural resources and the shifting concepts of nature in contemporary society.

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