People News October 2021

Farm to Institution New England — a six-state network mobilizing to transform the New England food system—published reports based on research by six students as part of their capstone course for the Environmental Science and Policy concentration. Chloe Birney ’21, Audrey Dawson ’21 and Austin Slesinski ’22 published “Sustainable Packaging: College Dining Adaptations to COVID-19”; and Maeve McCurdy ’21, Fee Pelz-Sharpe ’21 and Sofia Perrotto ’21 published “We Need to Focus on the Damn Land: Land Grant Universities and Indigenous Nations in the Northeast.”

Carrie Baker, Sylvia Dlugasch Bauman Chair of American Studies and Professor of the Study of Women and Gender, was a panelist in September for “Sexual Assault, Justice and Tangled Jurisdiction in Louise Erdrich’s ‘The Round House’” at Franklin Pierce University.

Ginetta Candelario ’90, professor of sociology and of Latin American and Latino/a studies, was featured in a recent New Books Network podcast on “Feminism, Racism and Transnationalism.” Candelario is editor of the Smith-based journal Meridians.

Alex Barron, assistant professor of environmental science and policy, Maya Domeshek ’18 and Lucy Metz ’22 recently published “Carbon neutrality should not be the end goal: Lessons for institutional climate action from U.S. Higher Education” in One Earth.

Patricia Cahn, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics, is the recipient of a $62,00 grant from the National Science Foundation for “Collaborative Research/RUI/CDS&E Data-Driven Methods in Classical Knot Theory.”

Maleka Donaldson, assistant professor of education and child study, shared her research with more than 500 educators in an October virtual forum for members of Easter Seals’ Collaborative on Racialized Disabilities Initiative. The forum focused on inequities in services for Black students with specialized education programs.

Kris Dorsey, assistant professor of engineering, has been selected for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Visiting Professors and Scholars Program. Hosted by MIT’s Media Lab Program in Media Arts and Sciences, she will focus on forging collaborations to consider issues of access and equity as they apply to wearable health-care devices.

C.M. Flynn, circulation associate in the Smith Libraries, recently published “The Five College Hub: Connecting Libraries Across Campuses,” in The Journal of Creative Library Practice.

Joel Kaminsky, Morningstar Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of Religion, gave a virtual talk in September at Purchase College on “Does the Idea of God’s Chosen People’ Divide Jews and Christians?”

Laura Katz, Elsie Damon Simons Professor of Biological Sciences, has been awarded a $49,481 grant from the National Science Foundation for “Biodiversity of testate (shelled) amoebae in New England bogs and fens.” 

Daphne Lamothe, professor of Africana studies, was a panelist in September for the Mark Roskill Symposium 2021 sponsored by the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s History of Art Department.

Jack Loveless, associate professor of geosciences, is the recipient of a $4,807 grant from the U.S. Geological Survey for “Using focal mechanisms within regions of off-fault deformation to constrain active fault configuration of the southern San Andreas fault.”

Lisa Mangiamele, assistant professor of biological sciences, was awarded a $46,481 grant from the National Science Foundation for “RUI: Collaborative Research: Neuroendocrine basis of gestural display evolution.”

Paul Joseph López Oro, assistant professor of Africana studies, was a panelist at the opening plenary of the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ 2020 Conference on Global Learning.

Pamela Petro, lecturer in English language and literature, has published a memoir, “The Long Field,” about growing up in Wales, recovering from a traumatic train accident and her life as a gay woman.

Kelsey Parks Smith, instructional coordinator for the Jandon Center for Community Engagement, is the recipient of a Jostens Rising Star Award from Women Leaders in College Sports for her work with Smith’s Project Coach and as student athlete wellness coordinator.

Ileana Streinu, Charles N. Clark Professor of Computer Science, published “Infinitesimal Periodic Deformations and quadrics” in a special issue of Metamaterials and Symmetry.

Smith Medalist and trustee Beverly Morgan-Welch ’74 has been appointed senior deputy director of external affairs for the Museum of Modern Art, overseeing the museum’s outreach strategy and programs. Morgan-Welch, who majored in theatre at Smith, brings decades of experience in nonprofit management and philanthropy to the position—including as executive director of the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket. 

Auralynn Rosario AC ’18 has been awarded a scholarship from New York Women in Film and Television. Rosario earned her Smith degree in English language and literature and received a master’s in film production from City College of New York. She received a Smith Magic Grant to support a feature-length version of her first documentary, “Being Jezebel,” about Black sex workers.

Brittney Blokker ’17 is the new program manager at the Green Marine Team, the volunteer environmental certification program for the North American marine industry. Blokker, who majored in engineering arts at Smith, previously worked as a maritime investigations program manager for Holland America Group.

Stacey Jackson-Roberts MSW ’13 is the new chief executive officer of the Utah Pride Center. A therapist and health-policy activist, Jackson-Roberts earned a bachelor of science degree in law and legal studies at Utah State University. At Smith, she was an LGBTQ representative to the curriculum committee and wrote her thesis on the treatment of transsexuals. 

Catherine Davie ’10 is the new assistant coach of the women’s rowing program at Florida Tech. A former head coach at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Davie majored in classical studies and psychology at Smith and holds a master of arts degree from Brandeis University.

Natasha Danielá de Lima McGlynn ’08 is the new executive director of the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia—the first Latina to hold the position. McGlynn, who had served as the interim director of AVP, majored in Portuguese-Brazilian studies at Smith and earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Julia O’Malley ’00 is the new managing editor for digital at Alaska Public Media. O’Malley, who majored in women’s studies at Smith, is a former reporter and columnist for the Anchorage Daily News and a correspondent at The Oregonian.

Nikol Nabors-Jackson MSW ’97 is the new chief of staff for the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency. Nabors-Jackson brings more than 20 years of government and nonprofit experience to the post.

Dorie Clark ’97 is the author of “The Long Game: How to be a Long-term Thinker in a Short-Term World,” published by Harvard Business Review Press. Clark, who majored in philosophy at Smith, is the owner of Clark Strategic Communications.

Jennifer Sommers ’97 is the new head of Houston Ballet Academy. Sommers, who earned a master of fine arts degree in dance at Smith, previously served as director of education for the academy. She joined the Houston Ballet in 2010 while also teaching and choreographing for the University of Houston.

Lule Demmissie ’96 has been appointed U.S. chief executive officer for eToro Group social investment network. Demmissie, who was previously president of Ally Invest, earned her Smith degree in economics and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

Annie Morita ’90 has been named chief operating officer for Koji app store for social media. A former Apple executive, Morita also worked as head of global interactive for Dreamworks Animation and held a leadership position at Warner Brothers. She majored in government at Smith and earned a diploma in baking from Le Cordon Bleu.

Mary Beth Mello ’77 has been appointed to the seven-member Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. A principal at Mello Transportation Consulting, Mello previously worked at the Federal Transit Administration. She earned her Smith degree in urban studies and an M.B.A. from Boston University.