More than 60 global leaders, policymakers and scholars shared their expertise during the Institute. They served as featured speakers, panelists, moderators and facilitators at various programs on each campus. Mount Holyoke, Simmons and Smith colleges are grateful to these contributors for the energy, passion and expertise they brought to this exciting event.
To learn more about the speakers, click on each name.
- Kathleen Anderson, president, Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
- Elif Babül, assistant professor of anthropology, Mount Holyoke College
- Judy Barsalou, President, El-Hibri Charitable Foundation
- Jessica Berns, consultant and peace building practitioner
- Stacy Blake-Beard, professor of management, Simmons College
- Alan Bloomgarden, director of community engagement, Mount Holyoke College
- Ibtissam Bouachrine, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Smith College
- Ina Breuer, executive director, Beyond Conflict
- Darcy Buerkle, associate professor of history, Smith College
- Mlada Bukovansky, professor of government, Smith College
- Suzanne Bump, state auditor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Maria Cartegena, assistant director of student programs, Amherst College
- Harriette Chandler, assistant majority leader, Massachusetts State Senate
- Clementina Chéry, founder and CEO, Louis D. Brown Peace Institute
- Benjamin Cole, assistant professor of political science and international relations, Simmons College
- Katie Conboy, provost and senior vice president, Simmons College
- Lynda Connolly, chief of staff and director of pre-law advising, Simmons College
- Radhika Coomaraswamy, global professor of law, New York University
- Joanne Corbin, professor, Smith College School for Social Work
- Rangita de Silva de Alwis, director, Global Women’s Leadership Initiative, Woodrow Wilson Center
- Patricia Deyton, associate dean, School of Management; director, Center for Gender in Organizations, Simmons College
- Helen Drinan (MHC ’69; Simmons ’75, ’78), president, Simmons College
- Fernande R.V. Duffly, justice, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court; past president,
National Association of Women Judges - Brent Durbin, assistant professor of government, Smith College
- Erin Ennis (MHC ’92), vice president, US-China Business Council
- Elizabeth Fahey, justice, Massachusetts Superior Court
- Vincent Ferraro, professor of international politics, Mount Holyoke College
- Catherine Filloux, playwright
- Paula Green, professor, School for International Training Graduate Institute; former director, Karuna Center
- Sara Gould, activist-in-residence, Smith College
- Sonali Gulati (MHC ’96), filmmaker
- Paula Gutlove, professor of practice, Simmons College School of Management
- Jane Harman (Smith ’66), director, president and CEO, The Wilson Center
- Amy Heiss, global manager, Dell
- Cynthia Ingols, professor of practice, Simmons College
- Rachel Kaprielian, secretary of labor and workforce development, Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
- Kavita Khory, professor of politics, Mount Holyoke College
- Daniel Elihu Kramer, chair, Theatre Department, Smith College
- Janet Lansberry, assistant director, Mount Holyoke College
- Josh Levy, Internet campaign director
- Nita Lowey (MHC ’59), Congresswoman
- Kathleen McCartney, president, Smith College
- Carol Klein Mack (MHC ’60), playwright
- Mahnaz Mahdavi, professor of economics, Smith College
- Maureen Mahoney, dean of the college, Smith College
- Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director, UN Women
- Sochua Mu, MP-elect, Cambodian National Rescue Party
- Amy Nechtem (Simmons ’76), justice, Massachusetts Juvenile Court; past president,
National Association of Women Judges - Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Smith ’02), Oscar-winning filmmaker
- Becky Wai-Ling Packard, professor of psychology and education, Mount Holyoke College
- Farah Pandith (Smith ’90), resident fellow, Institute of Politics, Harvard University
- Suzanne Parker, executive director, Girls Inc. of Holyoke
- Lynn Pasquerella (MHC ’80), president, Mount Holyoke College
- Eva Paus, professor of economics, Mount Holyoke College
- Jyoti Puri, professor of sociology, Simmons College
- Karen Remmler, professor of German studies and director of the Five College Women’s Studies Research Center, Mount Holyoke College
- Andrew Reiter, assistant professor of politics, Mount Holyoke College
- Carol Rodley (Smith ’76), director, Institute for Inclusive Security
- Stan Rosenberg, state senator, Massachusetts State Senate
- Victoria Sanford, director, professor of anthropology, Lehman College and City University of New York
- Marilyn Schuster, provost and dean of the faculty, Smith College
- John Scibak, state representative, Massachusetts House of Representatives; chairman, Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
- Mary Shapiro, professor of practice, Simmons College
- Susan Shirk, chair, professor of China and Pacific Relations, University of California, San Diego
- Hedda Krausz Sjögren, producer, Hedda Producktion
- Cristine Smith, associate professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Niloufer Sohrabji, assistant professor of economics, Simmons College
- Gloria Steinem (Smith ’56), author and activist
- Ellen Story, state representative, Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Mona Sutphen (MHC ’89), partner, Macro Advisory Partners
- Anne Teschner, executive director, The Care Center
- Niki Tsongas (Smith ’68), Congresswoman, U.S. House of Representatives
- Melanne Verveer, executive director, Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, Georgetown University
- Janie Victoria Ward, professor and education department chair, Africana studies, Simmons College
- Samantha Washburn-Baronie, executive director, Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus
- Ellen Doré Watson, director of the Poetry Center, Smith College
- Jon Western, professor of international relations, Mount Holyoke College
- Gregory White, professor of government and faculty director of the Lewis Global Studies Center, Smith College
- Renée White, dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Simmons College
- Alicia Zoeller, administrator, City of Holyoke Office for Community Development
Photo by Ben Barnhart