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November 12, 2012

Tammy Baldwin ’84 made many firsts when she was elected U.S. Senator from Wisconsin last week: the first woman from Wisconsin elected to the U.S. Senate; the first openly gay person to serve in the upper body of Congress; the first Smith alumna to serve in the senate; and a member of the largest class of women (20) ever to serve in the senate.

But Baldwin wasn’t the only Smith alumna to win on Election Day 2012. Several other alumnae entered public office with wins of their own.

Niki Tsongas ’68 was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts’ 5th District. Tsongas, a Democrat, has served as a U.S. Congresswoman since winning a special election in 2007. The widow of the late U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas, Niki Tsongas is the first woman from Massachusetts elected to the U.S. Congress in 25 years.

 

 

 

Sara Howard ’03 was one of four Democrats to win seats in the heavily Republican state of Nebraska. Howard won a seat in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature. She was elected to a seat her mother, Sen. Gwen Howard, currently holds and is leaving due to term limits. Howard is one of only 10 women (among 49 senators) serving in the chamber in the next session, beginning in January.

Mattie Daughtry ’09, an Alumnae Admission Coordinator, won her bid running as a Democrat for a seat in the Maine House, District 66 (Brunswick, ME, her hometown), with 45.62 percent of the vote in a three-way race. Daughtry ran for the office, she explains on her Web site, after becoming concerned with the leadership of Governor Paul LePage. Daughtry is a partner at Maquoit Bay Associates, a consulting firm specializing in management, fundraising and social media solutions for nonprofits. “I am a product of [Brunswick] and have been shaped by this community,” she writes. “I now feel impelled to give back, to make a difference.”

 

October 29, 2012

President Christ will appear on the Academy of Music stage on Sunday, Nov. 4, when she portrays the character the Solicitor in a Valley Light Opera (VLO) matinee (2 p.m.) performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan work Patience, or Bunthorne’s Bride. Christ’s role, which has no lines, appears in both Act I and Act II. Other actors will fill the role in other performances—Mount Holyoke College President Lynn Pasquerella on the Saturday, Nov. 3, evening performance; and Hampshire College President Jonathan Lash on Saturday, Nov. 10. “VLO has a history of tapping interesting people from our local communities for certain walk-on parts,” notes Jonathan Evans, of the VLO board of directors. “It’s fun for the audience.” Valley Light Opera is an Amherst company that primarily performs the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan, among other works.

Rob Dorit, director of biological sciences, is one in the 2012 class of Fellows of the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences (MAS), a prestigious community of scientists, engineers, research physicians and others who concerned with science and science education in the state. MAS Fellows are elected by their peers in honor of their scientific accomplishments and service to the science community.

 

 

David Byers, a faculty member in the School for Social Work, recently traveled to Jerusalem to teach at the Palestinian Al Quds University, as part of a partnership between that institution’s social work school and the Smith School for Social Work. The connection was forged earlier this fall when Josh Miller, professor of social work, also taught at Al Quds and, with the school’s dean, invited other Smith faculty to teach and participate in faculty development there. “I am so deeply impressed by the students I have been teaching,” reported Byers, who is also a doctoral student at the School for Social Work, recently from Al Quds. “The students are extremely motivated, receptive, and very sophisticated. I can’t tell you what a moving and powerful experience this has been for me.”

September 27, 2012

Lauren Woodman ‘91 is among four new members appointed to the board of the National Education Association Foundation Board of Directors. Woodman serves as general manager of Microsoft Corporation’s flagship education program Partners in Learning, a nearly $500 million investment in global education including professional development, training, classroom resources and research to more than 200 million students and 10 million teachers. Woodman, who earned a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in economics and foreign policy, is the former executive vice president for the Software & Information Industry Association. The NEA Foundation is an independent, public charity supported by contributions from educators, corporate sponsors and others to create improvements in teaching and learning.

Deborah N. Archer ‘93, professor of law at New York Law School, was recently appointed Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the school. As associate dean, she will work to develop the school’s curriculum and help drive efforts at innovation in legal education. “We are please the Professor Archer has accepted this new challenge at the law school,” said Anthony W. Crowell, dean and president of the school, in appointing Archer. “Deborah has distinguished herself as both a scholar and clinician at NYLS since 2003, and will bring great leadership, vision, and tenacity to a demanding and rewarding position.” Archer directs the NYLS Racial Justice Project, which works to protect the constitutional and civil rights of people of color and increase public awareness of racism, racial injustice and inequality. Archer earned her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1996.

Patrick Connelly, assistant director of Office of Student Engagement student programs, recently contributed a chapter to The College Union Idea, Second Edition, a comprehensive history of college unions from their early start as debating societies to modern-day facilities at the heart of campus, published by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI). The College Union Idea was originally published in 1971, surveying the history of college unions (often called campus centers in recent decades) from “Beginnings” through the 1960s. Connelly joined six other representatives from American colleges and universities in adding chapters to the second edition, covering the years 1970 to 2010. “While the book covers a wide span of history, it has a really fresh look with vibrant colors and photos throughout,” said Connelly. “We wanted it to be both readable and relatable, and I think we accomplished that.” The ACUI is a nonprofit educational organization that brings together college union and student activities professionals from hundreds of schools in seven countries.

About People News

People News is a column for publicizing the achievements, distinctions and notable activities of people in the Smith community, PeopleNews welcomes your submissions. If you -- or someone you know in the Smith community -- have recently received an award, participated in an interesting event, or are involved in an important endeavor, please let us know.

 

 
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