Ilse Treurnicht (South Africa-at-Large & Balliol 1979) explains what every girl should know about a science career

​"After spending more than a decade in postsecondary science education – mostly doing chemistry experiments in a smelly lab – I often get asked if I regret all those years of specialized work, given that it’s been 20-plus  years since I last did anything useful at a lab bench. There is no hesitation in my answer: No, not for a minute." Read more at the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. 

Pomona College appoints Janice Hudgings (Wyoming & New 1991) Vice President for Academic Affairs

"Pomona College has selected Janice Hudgings, currently associate dean of faculty and professor of physics at Mount Holyoke College, to be its new vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college." Read more at Pomona College. 

Susan Rice (Maryland and D.C. & New 1986) as national security advisor? U.N. ambassador said to be front-runner

​"UNITED NATIONS — Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who lost out in a bruising bid for the job of secretary of state, may have the last laugh.

Rice has emerged as far and away the front-runner to succeed Thomas E. Donilon as President Obama’s national security adviser later this year, according to an administration official familiar with the president’s thinking. The job would place her at the nexus of foreign-policy decision making and allow her to rival the influence of Secretary of State John F. Kerry in shaping the president’s foreign policy." Read more at the Washington Post. 

Does climate change mix with religion? An interview with Dr. Katharine Wilkinson (Tennessee & Trinity 2006)

"Q: Where did your personal interest in climate change come from? What is your story?
A: That’s a long story! Certainly, the roots of my interest come from my mother, Lucy. From an early age, she ensured I spent time in the natural world, taught me the names of trees and flowers, and gave me a deep love of animals. As a sophomore in high school, I attended the Outdoor Academy – an amazing experiential education program in the Appalachians. There was a deep focus on the outdoors, environmental issues, and sustainable living. Those four months were transformative for me. That’s when I really committed myself to environmental issues, started to make substantive changes in my own life, and became an activist." Read more at Care2.

Interview with ChemCham participating scientist Dr. Bethany Ehlmann (MIssouri & Hertford 2004)

​"Kat Gardner-Vandy, a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, interviewed Bethany for the 51+ Women in Planetary Science series over the phone." Read the interview at the ChemCam on Mars blog. 

Historian Katherine Fleming (Maritimes & Wadham 1985) to discuss plight of Greek Jews at annual lecture

"In her 2008 book, “Greece: A Jewish History,” Katherine Fleming gives a comprehensive account of Greece’s Jewish citizens, their diaspora in Israel and the U.S. and their near extinction at the hands of the Nazis." Read more at the UMSL Daily. 
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Monica Youn (Texas & University) selected to perform at the 2013 Princeton Poetry Festival

"Princeton University's Lewis Center for the Arts announces the poets who will be featured in the 2013 Princeton Poetry Festival, a two-day biennial event presented through the Center's Performance Central Series." Read more at the Princeton University Lewis Center for the Arts. 

Jessica Trancik (New York & Magdalen) finds Moore’s Law and Wright’s Law best predict how technology improves

"Researchers at MIT and the Santa Fe Institute have found that some widely used formulas for predicting how rapidly technology will advance — notably, Moore’s Law and Wright’s Law — offer superior approximations of the pace of technological progress. The new research is the first to directly compare the different approaches in a quantitative way, using an extensive database of past performance from many different industries." Read more at MITnews. 
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Sylvia Mathews Burwell (West Virginia & Worcester 1987): back at the White House after Walmart detour

"Sylvia Mathews Burwell's nomination to one of the most influential jobs in politics marks her return to Washington after a remarkable career with some of the world's most powerful charities and people. It also marks the most senior government appointment to date for a Walmart alumnus – an appointment that has critics of the mega-retailer worried." Read more at the Guardian. 

Professor Sarah H. Cleveland (Alabama & Lincoln 1987) and Visiting Scholar Harold Hongju Koh File Brief in Marriage Case

"Amicus Brief Argues U.S. Supreme Court Should Consider Example of Other Liberal Democracies, Which Have Determined Excluding Gay Couples From Marriage Violates Their Fundamental Rights." Read more at Columbia Law School. 

Maj. Gen. Michelle Johnson (Iowa & Brasenose 1981) first woman to lead Air Force Academy

"The first woman to serve as an Air Force Academy cadet wing commander has been picked to become the institution's first female superintendent.

Maj. Gen. Michelle Johnson was nominated Friday to take over from Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, the academy's superintendent since 2009. The nomination — which must clear the Senate — could bring her career full circle, all the way from a 1981 graduate to a three-star general overseeing her alma mater." Read more at the Denver Post. 

CISD pays tribute to Dr Lisa Smirl (Prairies & Balliol 1997)

"It is with great sadness the Centre announces the death of Dr Lisa Smirl who died on 21st February 2013 after a long and brave fight against cancer. Lisa was a Teaching Fellow at the CISD from 2005 until 2009 when she joined the University of Sussex as a Lecturer in International Relations. Her research on the spatial practices and culture of global governance was truly innovatory and marked the beginnings of a highly promising academic career. Lisa's thoughtfulness, diligence and unrivalled enthusiasm for her colleagues and students lit up any gathering of which she was part. No-one who worked with her will ever forget how life-affirming it was to be in her company. For her to lose her life at such a young age is a devastating loss, eased a little only by the memory of what a pleasure and honour it was to have known her." Read more at the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy. 

Chrystia Freeland (Prairies & St Antony's) makes Lionel Gelber shortlist

"Alberta-born writer Chrystia Freeland’s non-fiction book Plutocrats, which examines the global rise of the super-wealthy, has made the shortlist for the Lionel Gelber Prize. The $15,000 Canadian award celebrates the best English-language non-fiction on foreign affairs." Read more at the Quill and Quire. 

Rabbi Lisa Grushcow (Quebec & Balliol 1996) becomes the first female rabbi to preside over 1,000 people

Rabbi Grushcow recently became the first female rabbi to be hired by a Canadian synagogue with over 1000 members. She has just held her first Purim celebrations. Read more at Global Montreal. 

Dr. Beth Shapiro (Georgia & Balliol 1999) featured at the USA Science & Engineering Festival

"Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro spends her days peering into the past.

Her work in the emerging research field of ancient DNA takes her on a fascinating journey through time – collecting and studying the genetic samples of giant mammoths, saber-toothed cats, mastodons, dodo birds and other extinct animals, and piecing together such mysteries as the last ice age and the arrival of the first humans to North America." Read more at the USA Science & Engineering Festival. 

Rachel Kleinfeld (Alaska & St Antony's 2000) writes The Case for Aryming Syran Rebels for the Wall Street Journal

"Wars are ugly. They are deadly. They have unintended consequences and spillover effects. And yet, sometimes, putting a thumb on the scales of war is the lesser evil. Sometimes, dealing in arms is the right thing to do." Read more at the Wall Street Journal. 

Rachel Maddow's (California & Lincoln 1995) new book "Drift" comes out on March 5th

"New paperback edition of “Drift” comes out on March 5th. Available for pre-order now." Read more at Rachel Maddow's personal website. 

Dr. Astrid Guttmann (Quebec & New 1987) appointed a CIHR Research Chair in Reproductive and Child Health Services and Policy Research

"Dr. Astrid Guttmann has been appointed to a Research Chair in Reproductive and Child Health Services and Policy Research by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Dr. Guttmann is a Staff Physician and Project Investigator at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)." Read more at SickKids. 

Professor Cristina Rodriguez (Texas & St John's 1995) to discuss immigration and civil rights

"Cristina Rodríguez, a professor of law at Yale Law School who served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice for the past two years, will deliver the Pierre Genest Memorial Lecture at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School on Monday, Feb. 25, 2013." Read more at York University. 

Target's Black History Month Spotlight: Bonnie St. John (California & Trinity 1986) on Learning from History

"In honor of Black History Month, Target invited Olympian Bonnie St. John to share her personal story and professional experience with Target team members." Read more at Target.