September 2022 People News

Kathleen Hablutzel ’23J and Anisha Jain ’25 presented “A Divide and Concur Approach to Collaborative Goal Modeling with Merge in early-RE” in August at the 30th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference in Melbourne, Australia. Their research, presented virtually, was conducted in collaboration with Alicia M. Grubb, assistant professor of computer science.

Chu Luo ’25 was awarded a fellowship by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carillon School of Medicine for a 10-week summer research experience in brain research and translational neuroscience at the Anthony LaMantia Lab.

Tallulah Costa ’25 is the author of “Women of the Surveillance State: A Last Cry for Reproductive Freedom,” published in the summer 2022 issue of the journal Feminist Spaces, based at the University of West Florida.

Carrie Baker, professor of the study of women and gender, was a panelist for “Breaking the Law or Breaking the Oath: How Abortion Bans Betray America’s Patients and Physicians,” a webinar produced by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Floyd Cheung, vice president for equity and inclusion and professor of English language and literature and American studies, was featured in GoodCourse’s “Top 10 Tips for a Career in DEI-US Edition.” Cheung urges colleagues to “stay curious, keep learning, and connect with a network of people in your desired field.”

Jessica Gersony, assistant professor of biological sciences, is the recipient of two grant awards from the National Science Foundation: $372,663 for “Collaborative Research: ORCC: Investigating drought and cold resistance of northeastern U.S. trees to inform ecological modeling and forest management practices” and $502,817 for “Understanding tree phloem functioning during drought.”

Mary Harrington, Tippit Professor in the Life Sciences (Psychology), is leading a team that is developing educational units for a National Institutes of Health project on “Developing Training Materials for Experimental Rigor in Neuroscience.” 

Katherine Kinnaird, Clare Booth Luce Assistant Professor of Computer Science and of Statistical and Data Sciences, was a panelist in August for “Perspectives for Nontraditional Grading in Statistics Courses” at the American Statistical Association’s 2022 Joint Statistical Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Candice Price, associate professor of mathematics and statistics, is the co-author of “Radical Grace: Essays and Conversations on Teaching.” Price is one of three recipients of a 2022 Sherrerd Teaching Award from Smith.

Loretta Ross, associate professor of the study of women and gender, was a guest on a recent episode of the podcast AirTalk, “What Beyonce, Lizzo Changing Song Lyrics Says About the Evolution of Artists’ Relationship with Their Fans.”

Veronica Uribe-Kessler AC ’22 is the author of “Inequality and Informality in Columbia: A Perpetual Continuation,” published in June in Justin, an online platform of The Justice Institute. Uribe-Kessler earned her Smith degree in government and international relations.

Madeline Turner ’21 published “Diversified Growing: Farmers Cultivating Community and the Need for Federal Funding for Farmer-Led Education and Research Programs,” an article for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Turner earned her Smith degree in anthropology. 

“Shut Up Emily Dickinson,” a play by Tanya (Ritchie) O’Debra AC ’19, had its New York premiere in August at the Abrons Arts Center. O’Debra, who played the title role, earned her Smith degree in English language and literature, and was awarded a 2018 Jill Cummins MacLean Prize and a Smith Magic Grant.

Salome Kokoladze ’14 is the new curator of Aurora Picture Show, a Houston-based nonprofit media arts center. A writer and interdisciplinary artist, Kokoladze majored in philosophy at Smith. She earned a master of fine arts degree in video art at Syracuse University and a master’s degree in philosophy at Central European University in Hungary.

Sara Pic ’00 has been elected secretary/treasurer of the Government Law Libraries Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries. Pic, who joined the staff of the Louisiana Law Library in 2014, previously worked as an attorney with Health Law Advocates of Louisiana. She majored in Russian civilization and women’s studies at Smith and earned a law degree at Northeastern University. She also holds a master’s degree in library and information science from Louisiana State University.

Jacqueline Crucet AC ’99 is the new neighborhood development planner for Lewiston, Maine. Crucet, who spent 13 years leading community building efforts in Miami, Florida, earned her Smith degree in American studies.

Aimee Cutrona ’91 is the new charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Morocco. Cutrona, who began her diplomatic career in 1999, last served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Levant affairs. She holds a master’s degree in international relations and conflict management from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Wendy Bolger ’91 was named a 2022 “Woman to Watch” by the Baltimore Business Journal. Bolger, who is founding director of Loyola University Maryland’s Simon Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, majored in comparative literature at Smith and earned an M.B.A. at the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia Charlottesville.

Angela Abraham ’89 has been appointed director of eye care services for University Health at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Abraham, who served as clinical assistant professor at the New England College of Optometry in Boston, majored in biological sciences at Smith and earned a doctor of optometry degree from the University of Missouri-St Louis.

Karen Burgess ’86 has been elected to the board of the Pasadena Educational Foundation. Burgess, who majored in German language and literature and psychology at Smith, earned a master’s degree in communications from the University of Pennsylvania.

Donna Attanasio ’81 was a speaker at the August “Seminar on Climate and Energy Transition in Climate Litigation” at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Attanasio, who leads GW’s Energy Law Program and Sustainable Energy Initiative, majored in economics at Smith and earned a law degree at Harvard University.

Diane Maben ’77 is the new chief operating officer at Amegy Bank in Houston, Texas. Maben, who majored in economics at Smith, had previously served as Amegy’s executive vice president and manager of administrative services.

Sally Crawford ’75 has been recognized by the National Association of Corporate Directors as part of its 2022 NACD Directorship 100 for her work as a board member of Hologic Inc., a medical technology company focused on women’s health. Crawford majored in English language and literature at Smith and earned a master’s degree in communication at Boston University.

Marilynn Davis '73 has joined HR&A Advisors in New York City. She previously served as chief real estate officer for Clark Atlanta University. She majored in economics at Smith and earned master’s degrees in economics at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Michigan. She also received an M.B.A. degree from Harvard.

The Oliver Art Center in Frankfort, Michigan, has created a new endowment for creative and artistic development named in honor of Nancy Ingersoll Foster ’64. An artist, instructor and former board member at the center, Foster majored in history at Smith. 

Field hockey athletes try to get the ball around a goalie during August practice. Photograph by Jeff Baker