Pictured above: Kathleen Hicks ‘91, Deputy Defense Secretary for the Biden Administration. Photo courtesy of the Mount Holyoke College Office of Communications.
By Liz Lewis ’22 & Rehat Thussu ’23
Publisher, News Editor & Staff Writer
Dr. Kathleen Hicks ’91 recently solidified her place among Mount Holyoke alumni to be appointed to a leadership position in the federal government. On Feb. 9, 2021, Hicks was sworn in as the 35th deputy secretary of defense. She is the first woman to serve in this position.
The main duties of this position include executing the defense secretary’s priorities and leading the Department of Defense’s day-to-day business, such as managing the defense budget.
Hicks graduated magna cum laude and with Phi Beta Kappa honors from the College in 1991. After her time at Mount Holyoke, Hicks went on to earn a Master of Public Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Ph.D. in political science from MIT. Hicks has had a decades-long career within the Department of Defense, with her journey through the ranks beginning in 1993. In 2012, she was confirmed by the Senate as principal deputy undersecretary for policy for the Obama administration.
When President Joe Biden nominated Hicks as deputy secretary of defense alongside Colin Kahl as undersecretary of defense, he released a statement advocating for their confirmation. “Dr. Kath Hicks and Dr. Colin Kahl have the broad experience and crisis-tested judgment necessary to help tackle the litany of challenges we face today, and all those we may confront tomorrow,” Biden said.
Much like other alumni success stories, the College shared this announcement with the rest of the Mount Holyoke community via social media. The announcement has received mixed reactions from the community. While some students and alumni are ready to celebrate Hicks’ appointment, others raised concerns about the Mount Holyoke community with uncritical support.
Nabeeha Noor ’20 expressed how she felt about this announcement. “My concern is that MHC and the people celebrating Hicks’ appointment are far too excited about representation for representation’s sake and aren’t thinking about how her actions — and the actions of the administration she’s a part of — affect the world as a whole,” Noor said. “There are Mount Holyoke students from countries that have been and will be affected by Biden’s previous and current policies, and we need to think about that if we’re going to celebrate being a global community — and market ourselves as such.”
Elena Frogameni ’22, the events coordinator for the Mount Holyoke College Democrats, also commented on the nuances of how she is approaching Hicks’ achievement. “Personally, it means a lot to see diverse identities and perspectives in government roles,” Frogameni said. “I think we can be incredibly happy to see that happen while at the same time not assuming that any sort of barrier has been permanently broken. I don’t think we can see one woman assume a new role and believe everything has changed, but those steps are an important piece and deserve to be celebrated.”
According to The New York Times, the Biden administration transition team has assembled a Cabinet more diverse than any in American history. To accompany the announcement of his staff picks, Biden released a statement in which he expressed a commitment to building an administration that “looks like America.”
Frogameni, like Noor, expressed a wariness that too much emphasis on representative politics may lead to complacency.
“I appreciate the Biden administration’s interest in diversity and representation in Cabinet appointments, but more important to me are the policies those appointees are pursuing,” Frogameni said. “I want to see them do good and ethical work.”
Still, many students, like Lasyapriya Rao ’23, view this primarily as a promising development. “I think it’s really cool that MHC alums are doing so well for themselves and are holding leadership positions at the national level,” Rao said. “I think representation is very important in politics, and it helps inspire others to dream of being in and work toward being in important political positions where they can make [a] change. I can also understand why there have been mixed reactions to her appointment from MHC students, but I hope that those who reacted negatively will be pleasantly surprised when she — I hope — makes [a] positive change.”
Shanthini Ragoonaden ’24 also expressed excitement about Hicks’ appointment. “I find it very encouraging to see an alum achieving such a great position. Kathleen Hicks is not … only a representation of our school but also a dynamic leader in the female world,” Ragoonaden said. “I believe that her career is and will always be a milestone among the network of alumni.”
To Frogameni, pride in Mount Holyoke has less to do with simply seeing alumni in high-profile positions and more to do with the tangible work those alumni are doing. “Having alums reach incredible heights in their careers is amazing, and I think having alums be leaders in their fields is a huge benefit for current MHC students who can potentially use these connections as they themselves embark on their own careers,” Frogameni said. “One of the wonderful things about Mount Holyoke is that we have graduates that are doing all sorts of amazing things and making tangible differences in people’s lives — be that as an elementary school teacher or an accountant or a parent or a high-ranking government official.”