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Have you read an article featuring a Mills alum in an online journal or news site in the last month? Let us know! Send an email to mills.alumnaerelations@northeastern.edu with a link to the article (its full URL) and the name of the alum featured. Submissions will be reviewed for appropriateness before being posted.
Stacy Gilbert ’89 calls on Congress to withhold weapons from Israel
A former State Department adviser, Gilbert maintains that under the Foreign Assistance Act, no US weapons may be given to a nation that restricts access to humanitarian aid, as she asserts Israel has done in the case of Palestinians. The Hill; April 1, 2025
Lena Herzog ’96 reflects on husband Werner Herzog’s film career
Herzog was still a student at Mills when she encountered her future husband—already a famous director, but unknown to her. 60 Minutes; March 16, 2025
NBC Bay Area profiles Susan Lynch ’72, first female BART conductor
Lynch recalled sticking her head out the window to check on passengers boarding the train and seeing young girls impressed that the driver was a woman. NBC Bay Area; March 9, 2025
Halona Norton-Westbrook ’05 to head Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
In an international search, Norton-Westbrook proved to be a standout candidate as director of the Honolulu Museum of Art, where she “doubled annual attendance from pre-2020 levels, spearheaded its first strategic plan, successfully secured reaccreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, and led a $4 million renovation of the art …
Physician Andrew Herring, Pre-Med ’04, wants doctors to change how they treat opioid addiction
In Oakland’s Highland Hospital emergency room, Herring has encountered and treated opioid addicts with a proven, effective treatment: an alternative opioid. He now advocates that the medical establishment mitigate stigma around the practice, and promote it among doctors.
Obstetrician Kjersti Aagaard ’91 weighs in on nano-plastics in preemies
Aagaard, a maternal-fetal specialist professor at Boston Children’s Hospital, commented on a recent study suggesting that “the accumulation of plastics could be contributing to the risk and occurrence of preterm birth.” Newsweek; January 31, 2025
Sociologist Bianca Mabute-Louie ’12 debuts book on immigrant assimilation
Unassimilable is a “mix of poignant memoir, intensive research, and sharp socio-political commentary” on feeling pressure to be accepted by white America. KQED News; January 14, 2025
Barbara Lee ’73 launches campaign for Oakland mayor
With her 13th congressional term having ended this month, Lee seeks to replace Sheng Thao, who was recalled as mayor in November. KQED News; January 8, 2025
Music store owned by Brian James, MFA ’08, becomes hub for San Francisco electronic artists
The Mission District shop, which opened in 2020, offers a robust selection of used equipment, provides instrument lessons, and encourages onsite experimentation and collaboration. Mission Local; December 3, 2024
Marybel Batjer ’77 launches nonprofit to support government tech innovation
Together with other former government officials, Batjer established the California Center for Government Innovation, a nonprofit focused on modernizing the state’s digital services through partnerships among government officials, industry experts, philanthropy, and academia. StateScoop; November 21, 2024
Alysa Cisneros ’16, MPP ’17, is reelected to Sunnyvale city council
One of the Bay Area’s youngest elected officials, she secured over 65 percent of the vote in her district. San Jose Spotlight; November 7, 2024
Under the direction of Kymberly Miller ’92, Oakland’s Fairyland signage pays tribute to Ohlone heritage
The iconic, colorful sign will read “Children’s Ohloneland” now through the new year, bringing visibility to the indigenous people of the Bay Area. San Francisco Chronicle; October 16, 2024
Paris’s Festival d’Automne opens with work by choreographer Nora Chipaumire, MA ’00
Chipaumire’s interdisciplinary show Dambudzo fused movement, music, and sculpture with the industrial space of a former factory in the Montreuil suburb. New York Times; October 11, 2024
New fantasy novel by Evette Reiss Davis ’90 garners praise, award
Her book, The Others, follows a San Francisco–based political consultant with magical powers who teams up with other superbeings to slow the spread of fascism in elections. Northeastern Global News; September 17, 2024
Denise Caramagno ’94 alleges unfair firing by UCSF
A discrimination and violence prevention advocate at UC San Francisco, Caramagno says she was dismissed “for doing her job” after defending a professor’s right to academic free speech on the subject of Israel’s war in Gaza. KQED News; September 7, 2024
Erin Armstrong ’16, MPP/MBA ’18, vies for Oakland city council seat
Were she to win this fall, she would become the first openly transgender city councilmember in the Bay Area. Bay Area Reporter; September 4, 2024
Carolyn Hubbs ’65 debuts solo show in Santa Barbara
This fall, the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara will welcome Hubbs’s collection of plein air sketches and vibrant abstract paintings featuring the local environment and architecture. Santa Barbara Independent; August 30, 2024
Lateefah Simon ’13 stumps for Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention
A congressional candidate who is favored to win the seat of retiring Representative Barbara Lee ’73, Simon worked as a staffer under the presidential nominee when Harris was San Francisco district attorney. KTVU Fox 2; August 21, 2024
Mending maven Katrina Rodabaugh, MFA ’07, advocates saving money while styling up your clothes
The fiber artist and Make Thrift Mend author shares methods and tools for a variety of visible mending techniques. The Pennyhoarder; August 12, 2024
Raven Fonfa ’94 appointed director of Hudson Valley library
As she begins to shape the programming for the Sarah Hull Hallock Free Library in the hamlet of Milton, NY, Fonta hopes to “find that balance between being a neighborhood library for our local community and being more engaged in the Hudson Valley generally.” Southern Ulster Times; July 10, 2024
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