BY SHILOH FREDERICK ’17, MICHALA SAWYER ’17, ISABEL KERR ’19, FLORI NEEDLE ’20 & HALEY ROBINSON ’17
Barbara Baumann ’77
Barbara Baumann ’77 is the president of the board and has served in this position since 2015. Baumann graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in American studies and holds an master’s in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked as a business executive in the energy industry for many years and has held various management roles at Amoco Corporation before becoming president of Cross Creek Energy Corporation. At Cross Creek Energy, she serves as an energy-related adviser and direct investor. In an inter- view with the college after her appointment as president in June 2015, Baumann said, “Mount Holyoke is a leader in preparing students to face the future with confidence, and I was transformed by my experiences as a student there. As an alumna, I am honored to be a part of the College’s efforts to ensure that the next generation [of] graduates are ready and eager, as our founder Mary Lyon said, to ‘accomplish great things.’” Baumann lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and son.
Dr. Jennifer Rochlis ’94
Dr. Jennifer Rochlis ’94 is the chief of the Human Interfaces Branch in the Engineering Avionics Division at the NASA Johnson Space Center based in Houston, Texas. After graduating from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in physics with a minor in astronomy, she continued her education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics in 2002. Formerly the Space Human Factor and Habitability Element Manager for NASA, she started at her current position in February of 2016. As the chief of the Human Interfaces Branch, she is in charge of the technical experts who are responsible for the various human interfaces used on manned spaceflight missions. While at Mount Holyoke, she claimed the best class she took was a January Term course on Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. In addition to her love of all things science, she was also a member of a campus singing group for all four years.
Dr. Ann Blake ’85
Dr. Ann Blake ’85 is the founder and principal of Environmental and Public Health Consulting. She grew up in South East Asia and attended the International School in Bangkok, Thailand. Upon graduating from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in biology, she pursued a doctorate studying the molecular genetics of Drosophila melanogaster eye development from the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon. During her time at Mount Holyoke, she studied abroad in China through a Duke University program where she studied Chinese and Chinese history. On the side, Dr. Blake is an active classical, jazz and barbershop musician and singer. Besides being a member of the Board of Trustees, she gave a presentation on Oct. 24, 2013, on “Travels of a Rubber Duck: Science and Policy on Chemicals in Global Manufacturing.” Dr. Blake lives in Alameda, California with her husband and cats.
Heather Harde ’91
Heather Harde ’91 was the CEO of TechCrunch, an online media company, from 2007 to 2011. After joining TechCrunch, she turned it from a blog to a successful news source before selling the company to AOL in 2010. Formerly the vice chairman of sf.citi, an organization that focuses on joining policy making in San Francisco with the technological sector, she is now a member of the Emeritus Board of Directors. Upon graduating from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in complex organizations, she went on to earn her master’s in business administration with a degree in finance from Harvard Business School. FastCompany. com named Harde as one of the “Most Influential Women in Technology” in 2011. Harde currently lives in Paia, Hawaii.
Dr. Elizabeth Wharff ’75
Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Wharff ’75 is a clinical social worker and the chief of psychiatric social work at Boston Children’s Hospital. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in music. She received her doctorate in social work from Simmons College and a master’s degree in music from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Wharff lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
Rhynette Northcross Hurd ’71
Rhynette Northcross Hurd ’71 is a lawyer based in Memphis, Tennessee who graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in English. Before attending law school, Hurd earned master’s degrees from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and Vanderbilt University in African American Literature and English Education. She earned her J.D. from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1991 and currently teaches there as an adjunct professor of Civil Procedures and Federal Courts. Hurd has over 20 years of legal experience, primarily as an in-house counselor for litigation matters. She has worked for Fortune 500 and other mid-size companies and has also served on the board of multiple non-profit organizations. Hurd has also worked as a mediator and arbitrator.
Elizabeth Weatherman ’82
Elizabeth Weatherman ’82 is a managing director at Warburg Pincus in New York City. She holds a master’s in business administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and majored in English while at Mount Holyoke, graduating summa cum laude. In 2014, she was honored with the Women of Power and Influence Award by the National Organization for Women (NOW) for her work at Warburg Pincus, a global equity firm, which has invested in some of the most innovative healthcare companies around the globe under Weatherman’s leadership. In addition to her role as a board member, Weatherman has also established an internship fund that allows four Mount Holyoke students to spend the summer in Liberia with the Gbowee Peace Foundation.
Mona Sutphen ’89
Mona Sutphen ’89 served as the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2011. Sutphen holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the college and says of her Mount Holyoke experience, “Mount Holyoke was the most consequential inflection point in my career. It was my professors and advisors in international relations who led me into public policy and encouraged me to take the foreign service exam. If I hadn’t joined the Foreign Service, I wouldn’t have had such life-changing experiences as a diplomat in Asia, Europe and the UN — that in turn led to two stints in the White House.” She also served as a United States Foreign Service Officer during the Clinton Administration and in the State Department’s Human Rights Bureau. Currently, Sutphen is an adjunct professor at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a Partner at Macro Advisory Partners, a global advisory firm. As an involved alumna and member of the board, she advises current Mount Holyoke students and recent graduates, “I think it is important to relax a bit and make sure you spend your early years experimenting — different fields and experiences. You probably won’t get a perfect job — and may go through a string of bad jobs. But that’s okay. It’s really important early on to figure out what you like and what you’re good at.”
Dr. Jeanne Amster ’77
Jeanne Amster ’77 of San Francisco, California has served on the board since 1993. Dr. Amster has worked in the field of education for many years, having held positions as the head of private college preparatory schools and teaching history of education as a visiting assistant professor at Brown University. She received a master’s in history from Stanford University and a doctorate in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Amster majored in politics while at Mount Holyoke and currently runs her own private educational consulting organization, Amster Consult- ing Group, in San Francisco.
Karena Strella ’90
Karena Strella ’90 graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and later went on to earn an master’s in business administration from Northwestern University. She currently oversees the Global Life Services and Healthcare Services Group at Egon Zehnder, one of the world’s leading search and appraisal firms. In a profile by the Mount Holyoke Office of Advancement, Strella noted the unique environment at Mount Holyoke College as a place that allowed her, and other students, to immerse themselves in intense academic situations, extracurricular activities and leadership opportunities.
Debra Martin Chase ’77
Debra Martin Chase ’77 is a film and television producer who has been involved in the production of popular films such as “The Princess Diaries,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “The Cheetah Girls.” According to Variety Magazine, Chase’s projects showcase “diversity, empowerment and wish fulfillment.” In contrast to her long career in the film and television industry, Chase majored in political science/government at Mount Holyoke College and received a doctorate in law from Harvard University in 1981. Upon graduation, she was an executive at Coca Cola, the executive vice president of Whitney Houston’s Brown House Productions and the vice president of Denzel Washington’s Mundy Lane Entertainment. In 2007 Chase founded Martin Chase Productions. She is currently the executive producer of Zoe Ever After, a television show starring Brandy. In addition to serving on Mount Holyoke’s Board of Trustees, Chase also is on the Board of New York City Ballet.
Chau Ly ’97
Chau Ly ’97 graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies. She then went on to Northeastern University to obtain a master’s in public administration. She is the former program manager of statewide and community supports for the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Ly held many positions at Mount Holyoke prior to her graduation, including Legacy of Diversity Campaign co-chair and Presidential Search Committee member. In May 2012, she was awarded the Young Alumnae Volunteer Leadership Award, which is given to alumni that have demonstrated strong leadership, consistent effort, active involvement in one or more areas of service and that have made meaningful contributions to the Alumnae Association or Mount Holyoke College.
Catherine Burke ’78
Catherine Burke ’78 graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in economics. While attending Mount Holyoke, Burke was editor in chief of the Mount Holyoke College Newspaper Choragos. Burke went on to obtain a master’s in business administration in strategic management from Boston College in 1994. She is currently the vice president of credit for California First National Bank. Burke is the recipient of the Mount Holyoke Alumnae Medal of Honor, which is awarded to alumni who further the mission of the Alumnae Association.
David Wilson
David Wilson is the president of the Knossos Foundation Inc., a nonprofit based in California.
Natasha Mohanty ’03
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Natasha Mohanty ’03 went on to pursue a master’s in computer science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Upon the completion of her master’s, Mohanty moved to San Francisco to work as an engineering manager with Google. Two short years after she left Google, Mohanty joined the Board of Trustees. She now works as the co-founder and vice president of technology for FEM Inc, a visual media technology company.
Kaitlyn Szydlowski ’09
Kaitlyn Szydlowski ’09 began studying Mandarin Chinese during her first year at Mount Holyoke College. With the support of the Barbara Yen Sun Prize, Szydlowski was able to travel to China to conduct field research on Chinese disability law and policy in January of 2009. A year later, after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and Chinese, she was able to return to China to further her studies in Mandarin at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Szydlowski joined the Board of Trustees in 2013.
Elizabeth Palmer ’76
Elizabeth Palmer ’76 graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in political science/government. She then went on to received a master’s in business administration from Columbia College with a focus in finance. She is currently the head of North American Client Services and Marketing for Lindsell Train.
Sarah Xefos ’06
Sarah Xefos ’06 graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religious studies. In 2012, Xefos received a master’s in public policy from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government after completing a dissertation on “Increasing Gender Equality in Saudi Arabia.” Xefos is currently based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Carrianna K. Field ’97
Carrianna Field ’97 is currently the director of Graduate and Exchange Programs at the University of Connecticut’s School of Law, a position she has held since 2013. Field previously practiced law at Pullman & Comley, LLC. She earned her degree in law from the University of Connecticut in 2007. As a Mount Holyoke student, she double majored in German studies and psychology. She also played for the college’s varsity soccer and lacrosse teams.
Sherri Rollins Westin P ’17
Sherri Rollins Westin is the mother of Lily Rollins ’17. Westin majored in communications at the University of Virginia. In 2005, Westin became the chief marketing officer for Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind the Sesame Street franchise. She currently serves as the executive vice president of Global Impact and Philanthropy for Sesame Workshop. Before she joined Sesame Workshop, Westin worked as the executive vice president of Network Communications at ABC.
Katherine E. Collins ’74
Katherine E. Collins ’74 has been the vice president of finance at Rice University since 2005, after serving as the University’s associate vice president and budget director. Prior to her time at Rice University, Collins was budget director for the U.S. Department of Transportation and worked for the White House Office of Management and Budget. Rice earned a master’s degree in urban studies from Harvard University in 1976 after receiving a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Mount Holyoke College.
Dr. Marcia Brumit Kropf ’67
Dr. Marcia Brumit Kropf ’67 is the founder and principal at Marcia Brumit Kropf LLC, her consulting nonprofit. Through her consulting, she has worked with clients such as Girls Inc., the Children’s Art Guild, Weil and Women in Sports and Events (WISE). Upon graduating from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in French, she earned her doctorate in educational communication and technology from New York University in 1991. She formally served eight years as the chief operating officer of Girls Inc. and spent 12 years as the vice president of Research and Information Services at the nonprofit Catalyst. Dr. Kropf is the president of the Mount Holyoke Alumnae Association and lives in New York City with her husband.
Louise Wasso ’75
Louise Wasso ’75 is the managing director and head of private clients with Angelo, Gordon & Co. She has over 30 years of wealth management experience, and she and her team work alongside individual investors, family offices, independent advisors, foundations/endowments and high net worth platforms. Before Angelo, Gordon & Co, Wasso was managing director at Morgan Stanley and head of alternative investments, advising clients globally. Wasso graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in economics and later went on to obtain a master’s of business administration in finance from the University of Chicago.
Ellen J. Flannery ’73
Ellen J. Flannery ’73 has been practicing law at Covington & Burling, LLP since 1979, making her way up through the firm from associate to partner. Flannery helps her clients with regulations and compliance for medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biological products, according to the law firm’s website. Flannery received her law degree from Boston University in 1978 after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College.
Ellen Hyde Pace ’81
Ellen Hyde Pace ’81 is the global client leader for Red Fuse Communications, a marketing communications agency group created by WPP to service Colgate-Palmolive on a global scale. Before this, she served as global client leader for Young & Rubicam, the global business director for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare at J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, a WPP company, and the director of operations and strategy for Procter & Gamble. Pace graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in American studies and art history. She lives with her husband and their two twin children in New York City.
Mindy McWilliams Lewis ’75
Mindy McWilliams Lewis ’75 is the former associate director of the Cummins Foundation and the former public affairs manager and senior project officer of the Cummins Engine Company Inc. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theater from Mount Holyoke College and then went on to earn a master’s in communications from Syracuse University in 1976. Lewis lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband.
Dr. Elizabeth Cochary Gross ’79
Dr. Elizabeth Cochary Gross ’79 is an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She earned Master’s and doctorate degrees in biochemistry from Tufts after receiving a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Mount Holyoke College. Dr. Gross worked in the Genetics Lab at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center before she started her current position at Tufts. In addition to teaching at Tufts, Dr. Gross sits on the University’s Board of Trustees.
Michelle Toh ’85
After graduating from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Michelle Toh ’85 earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Japan and a certificate in Chinese from Hong Kong University. Now retired, Toh works for several companies in the financial and banking sectors including the Morgan Stanley Foundation, First Boston Corporation, Moody’s Investors Service and Bank of America.
David Mahoney P ’18
David Mahoney is the father of Elizabeth Mahoney ’18. Mahoney is a graduate of Princeton University with a bachelor’s degree in English. He also received a master’s of business administration from Harvard University. Mahoney is an independent venture capitalist and private equity professional. For the past 13 years, Mahoney has been working as the director of Symantec Corporation, an American software company located in Mountain View, California.
Casey Accardi ’15
During her time at Mount Holyoke, Casey Accardi ’15, the former Student Government Association president, majored in psychology and had a Nexus minor in global business. On campus, Accardi was an active member of the M&Cs. She also worked in the Office of Admission as both a tour guide and a Harriet Newhall Fellow. Shortly after graduation, Accardi joined the Board of Trustees and since has stayed close to campus, currently serving as the assistant director of the Annual Fund at Amherst College.
What are they in charge of?
2016
Set the 2016–2017 tuition rate at $45,680, the room rate at $6,560, and the board rate at $6,880. This total fee of $59,120 is a 4.5 percent increase from the 2015–2016 rate of $56,560.
Approved tenure and promotion to associate professor: Catherine Corson (environmental studies)
Kate Singer (English)
Alan van Giessen (chemistry)
Approved promotion to full professor:
Martha F. Hoopes (biological sciences) Amy E. Martin (English)
Granted emeritus status:
Susan R. Barry (biological sciences) Lawrence Fine (Jewish studies)
Indira Viswanathan Peterson (Asian studies) Alberto Sandoval-Sánchez (Spanish)
Robert M. Schwartz (history)
Carole E. Straw (history)
Nicole C. Vaget (French).
Elected Elizabeth H. Weatherman ’82 to a five-year term as Trustee of the College beginning July 1, 2016, and Erin L. Ennis ’92 to a five-year term as Alumna Trustee of the College, effective July 1, 2017.
2017
Set the fees for 2017 – 2018. The comprehensive fee will be $61,800, which includes $47,740 for tuition, $6,860 for housing and $7,200 for meals.
Approved tenure recommendations: Alexi Arango (physics)
Mara Benjamin (fall 2017, Jewish studies)
Jessica Maier (art history)
Andrew G. Reiter (politics and international relations) Steven Schmeiser (economics)
Dylan Shepardson (mathematics and statistics).
Approved reappointment recommendations:
Kimberly Juanita Brown (English and Africana studies) Jennifer Wallace Jacoby (psychology and education) Kerstin Nordstrom (physics)
Heather Pon-Barry (computer science)
Approved full retirement recommendations: James Coleman (dance)
Terese Freedman (dance) Elissa Gelfand (French) Linda Laderach (music) Joseph Smith (art history)
Approved phased retirement recommendation: Janice A. Gifford (mathematics and statistics)