In the Media - September 2021 Roundup

The Vassar College Commencement was featured in the Hudson Valley Press. The College’s $1.1 million state grant for clean-energy initiatives was covered by News 10, Mid Hudson News, Spectrum News HV1, and the Daily Freeman. Vassar made MSN’s list of “The World’s Most Breathtaking College Campuses” and the Poughkeepsie Journal wrote about its selection as the setting for a new HBO Max series co-written by Mindy Kaling. The College and Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, class of 1892, were mentioned in a London Economic story about the origins of fudge. Vassar was mentioned in BroadwayWorld.com and Playbill articles about its summer collaboration with New York Stage and Film, and was included in Newsday and NBC New York stories about COVID vaccination requirements for students. The Vassar College app won first place for Best Health and Wellness App and second place for Best Unified App in the Modo 2021 Appademy Awards, as noted by Yahoo! Finance and Businesswire.com.

President Elizabeth Bradley wrote a Brookings Institution article on how to boost college graduation rates. Bradley was also quoted in a Vox article about why food and housing assistance is essential for improving America’s health.

The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center exhibition commemorating and celebrating Juneteenth was the subject of a Hudson Valley Press story.

The Society of Professional Journalists honored the Miscellany News with a first place 2020 national Mark of Excellence Awards win for “Best All-Around Newspaper” for small colleges.

Edward Pittman ’82

Edward Pittman ’82

A Chronogram story, “The Advantages of Being Awestruck,” written by Wendy Kagan ’91, mentioned the work of Michele Tugade ’95, Professor of Psychological Science, and Natalie Nixon ’91, author and creativity strategist.

Maria Höhn, Professor of History on the Marion Musser Lloyd ’32 Chair, was quoted in a History story about mixed-race children in post WWII Germany.

Edward Pittman ’82, who recently retired as Senior Associate Dean of the College, wrote a Diverse Issues in Higher Education op-ed, “Why I Came Back: An Alumni Perspective.”

Sue Buyer ’47, a former newspaper reporter, talked with the Buffalo News about her first novel, All Things in Time.

Tashina “Tes” Moulton ’23 was named a WPDH “Vet Who Rocks.”

The COVID-19 work of Dr. Judy Fiedler Topilow ’63 and her husband, Dr. Arthur Topilow, was the subject of a Pulse* story.

A limited series based on the murder of Vincent Chin in 1982—which led to a landmark civil rights case—is in the works from a creative team that includes author, former television executive, and entrepreneur Paula Madison ’74, as noted by the Hollywood Reporter.

Dr. Christine Yu Moutier ’90, Chief Medical Officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, was quoted in New York Times, Associated Press, and Healthline articles about the suicide rates during the pandemic.

Recording artist and Neon Gold Records co-founder Lizzy Plapinger ’10 was the subject of an American Songwriter article.

Poet Jubi Arriola-Headly ’91 talked about his work and his life, and recited one of his poems on PBS News Hour.

Taneisha Means, Assistant Professor of Political Science on the Class of 1951 Chair, wrote a Washington Post article about why so few Black women serve in high-level federal posts. The article was mentioned in a Glamour story about the appointment of Candace Jackson-Akiwumi to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Means was also quoted in a Highlands Current story about diversity and local police departments.

Sau Lan Wu ’63

Sau Lan Wu ’63

Atlantic magazine staff writer Adam Serwer ’05 talked about his book The Cruelty is the Point: the Past, Present and Future of Trump’s America on NPR's All Things Considered and C-Span.

Areej Noor ’06, Founder and CEO of Statement Films, was quoted in a Deadline story about a partnership between Topic and Statement Films to develop projects from African and diaspora female creators.

Physicist Sau Lan Wu ’63, Enrico Fermi Distinguished Professor of Physics and an experimentalist at CERN, was the subject of a Vietnam News Explorer Channel story.

“One Art,” a poem by Elizabeth Bishop ’34, was the subject of a New York Times “Close Read” feature.

Luke Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science, was quoted in Wall Street Journal and Baptist News Global articles on critical race theory.

Richard Bellis ’10 wrote an essay in The Sun about the news articles and social media posts he collected during the pandemic.

An artist created a birthday present for Meryl Streep ’71, renaming a New York City subway stop 72 Streep in honor of Streep’s 72nd birthday, as noted by the New York Post.

Wenwei Du, Associate Professor of Chinese and Japanese, was quoted in a SupChina story about comedy legend Zhao Benshan.

Fritzi Horstman ’84

Fritzi Horstman ’84

Compassion Prison Project Founder Fritzi Horstman ’84 interviewed author and addiction and mental illness expert Dr. Gabor Mate, as noted by CPP.

Raymond Magsaysay ’17 published an article for the Michigan Journal of Race & Law regarding Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and mass incarceration, as noted by the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Valerie Paley ’83 was appointed Director of the New-York Historical Society’s Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, as noted by the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library.

Dr. Jeffrey Brenner ’90, CEO of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, Spirit of Vassar Award winner, and MacArthur Fellow, wrote a Daily News op-ed about homelessness.

Soen Shunryu Colin Garvey ’07, a Zen Buddhist priest and sociologist in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture, was the subject of a Mainichi article.

Margaret Richardson ’65, who worked as a lawyer and IRS commissioner, was remembered by the Washington Post.

Leonard Steinhorn ’77, Professor of Communication and Affiliate Professor of History at American University and CBS News Radio Political Analyst, talked about baby boomers and their role in social change on PBS News Hour.

Anu Duggal ’01

Anu Duggal ’01

Jordan Pavlin ’90 was named Editor in Chief at Knopf, as noted by the New York Times.

TechCrunch featured Anu Duggal ’01 and her Female Founders Fund, which provides seed capital to tech companies and lifestyle brands founded by women. Duggal also talked with Inc. about the early stages of fund-raising.

Benjamin Ho, Associate Professor of Economics, was quoted in a New Yorker article, “Are Americans More Trusting Than They Seem?”

A newly released book by Time-Out Grant recipient Katherine Kim ’93, Longitude, is on display at D’Ark Room in South Korea and was featured in the June issue of Monthly Photo.*

Grace Willoughby ’22 was quoted in a Boston 25 News story about artists who are turning public utility boxes into works of art.

Kate Walters ’21 received a 2021 McHenry Award for her work on community public art projects, “MakerBoards 2.0,” as noted by HudsonValleyOne.com.

The Rev. Daniel Park ’02 was named the new campus pastor for Restoration Church in Reston, Virginia, as noted by Digital Journal.

In an opinion piece for The Hill, Sarah Morath ’98 discusses “moving from awareness to action on plastic pollution.”

In a Tempest essay, Camilla Selian Meeker ’22 explains how the pandemic gave her a new appreciation of horror movies.

Actor and director Tai Verley ’05 spoke to the Philadelphia Tribune about her local theater projects.

NJBIZ named Dr. Margarita Camacho ’78 a Physician of the Year as part of its 2021 Healthcare Heroes Awards.

Emma Kress ’96’s debut YA novel, Dangerous Play, was featured on Young Entertainment.

Katherine Hite, Professor of Political Science on the F. Thompson Chair and Director of Research Development, challenges the dominant story of her home state of Texas in ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America.

Michael Donnelly ’07

Michael Donnelly ’07

The recently deceased Frances “Sissy” Farenthold ’46, P’75, former Texas state legislator and AAVC Distinguished Achievement Award winner, was profiled in the Texas Observer.

NPR highlighted data scientist Michael Donnelly ’07’s role in voluntarily providing crucial information about COVID-19 breakthrough cases to the CDC.

An appreciation of Maria Mitchell, Vassar’s first professor and an enduring inspiration to women in STEM, appeared on the MassBio News blog.

Dara Greenwood, Associate Professor of Psychological Science, wrote a Psychology Today article about how social media fuels body modification.

Astronomer Vera Rubin ’48 and her work on dark matter were the subjects of a Vox article.

Vijay Das ’06

Vijay Das ’06

San Francisco Human Rights Commissioner Karen V. Clopton ’80, P’19, ’22, a lawyer, former judge, and former co-chair of AAAVC, discussed Black philanthropy with the San Francisco Foundation.

The Blackmailer’s Guide to Love by Marian Thurm ’73, was featured in Newsday.

Vijay Das ’06 wrote a Yes! magazine article, “Being Disabled Shouldn’t Mean Living in Poverty.”

Amitava Kumar, Professor of English on the Helen D. Lockwood Chair, talked with Publishers Weekly about his latest book, A Time Outside This Time.

Kelly J. Shannon ’03, author and Associate Professor of History at Florida Atlantic University, wrote a Washington Post article, “Pre-war U.S. support for Afghan women’s rights offers a blueprint for the future.”

*Link not available.

Photo credits: Edward Pittman, Karl Rabe; Sau Lan Wu, John Abbott; Fritzi Horstman, courtesy of Compassion Prison Project; Anu Duggal, Samuel Stuart; Michael Donnelly, Jason LeCras; Vijay Das, courtesy of the subject.

Posted
September 29, 2021
Alums
Faculty