Welcome to the fall 2007 edition of ENews, the quarterly enewsletter sent to Simmons College alumnae/i.

This fall the campus is buzzing with loads of activity, from construction on the new School of Management and academic building project to academic lectures and alumnae/i events.

CAS Grad | GSLIS | SHS | SOM | SSW | Undergraduate

Plus other stories related to Simmons, its alumnae/i, and students.

Please visit Alumnet to learn about events and alumnae/i news.

As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions on how to improve this newsletter as well as other alumni communications. Please send all comments to alumnet@simmons.edu.

Trip To Belize Changes Students’ Outlook

This winter, more than a dozen undergraduate students had the experience of a lifetime as they took part in a 10-day, study abroad/service learning trip to Belize.

Sponsored by the Africana Studies Department, the trip was focused on introducing students to a culture in transition — the indigenous Garifuna people — who are descendents of Caribbean Indians and escaped African slaves.

Students walked the "medicine trail" in a Belize rain forest, where they learned about the plants, herbs, barks, and roots used by the Maya Indians for medicinal purposes.

In addition to learning about Garifuna language, culture, and religious traditions, the students participated in three days of service learning at a local primary school, where they organized donated books, created posters for the classrooms, and assisted the teachers. Some students worked in a health center, traveling with a nurse to visit sick and shut-in children. They also set up a networking system for the medical office computer.

Student Priscilla Rorie said that she was struck by the history and culture of Belize, along with the connection that the people have with their spirituality and their past.

Students hiked to the top of the largest pyramid at Caracol, a Mayan ruin, which is located in the Maya Mountains of Belize.

“When you experience the Mayan Ruins,” said Rorie, “the beginning of existence is fathomable. Sometimes, because technology and ways of life have advanced so much, it’s hard to make a connection with ancient past…. But being in the Mayan ruins breaks all those barriers. The reality of the past becomes tangible through climbing the ruins and noticing similarities between other ancient cultures. I felt a part of history had been paused and preserved in a beautiful environment.”

Africana Studies Chair Janie Ward organized the trip and said it was fulfilling to see how much the students learned by living with the Garifuna people, and to see them connect with history.

“Living with and learning from the Garifuna allowed the students to witness how specific elements of the past are woven into contemporary ways of living, and to examine the current challenges faced by an indigenous people in a rapidly changing world.”

Senior Emily Cattalozzi said the trip made her appreciate all of the creature comforts that she had previously taken for granted. Her outlook on life “has changed dramatically” she said.

“The amount of things that we, as Americans take for granted is incredible. From things like hot water in the shower, to paved roads, to drinkable tap water, we are truly blessed to live in a country that provides us with endless opportunities…. Even though I was only in Belize for 10 days, I know that I will always appreciate what I have, the life that I live and will continue to be generous and helpful to those who are less fortunate, whether they are Americans or from another country.”

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Multicultural Mentoring Program Begins

Alumnae of color traveled from around the country to meet with undergraduate students Feb. 3 during the official kick off of the Mosaic Multicultural Mentoring Program.

Alumnae mentors and students gather for a group photo at the Mosiac Multicultural Mentoring Program Kick-Off Event held at Simmons on February 3, 2007.

The training day, which was led by School of Management faculty member Gina LaRoche, included information about networking, job shadowing, and mentoring.

To read the full story, please click here.

Recap of Reunion Weekend 2007

Simmons College held its Reunion Weekend for classes ending in "2" and "7" from June 1-3. The college held various events on campus and in and around the city of Boston.

President Susan C. Scrimshaw and her husband, Allan Stern, greet alumnae on their way to the lobster dinner and BBQ Friday night.

To read about all the Reunion events and view photos from the various events, please click here.

Students Partner with Navy on Marketing Initiative

Students in Ed Vieira’s advanced marketing class did far more this spring semester than study advertising techniques. Partnering with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), 13 undergraduate students had the opportunity to create multi-faceted marketing and recruitment campaigns for the agency, and the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to NCIS headquarters in Washington, D.C.

To read the full story, please click here.

Pen Pals Are “Everyday Heroes”

For the fifth year in a row, members of the Simmons community took part in the Promising Pals program, a local writing initiative that highlights literacy and mentoring, and gives middle school students exposure to the professional world.

To read the full story, please click here.

Alumna Receives Prestigious Award

Former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal Harriet Elam-Thomas '63 recently was named the 2007 recipient of the State Department's Director General's Cup for the Foreign Service.

To read the full story, please click here.

U.S. News Highlights Alumna

A recent article in U.S. News & World Report online focused on Bethesda, Md.-based Westover Consultants, Inc., run by CEO Faye E. Coleman '68.

To read the full story, please click here.

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New Online Service Offers Job Resources to Alumnae/i

Looking to rejuvenate your career? Begin a job search? Analyze a new industry?

Simmons is now offering a free online service to our alumnae/i. Available through Alumnet, the Vault Online Career Library offers a vast array of professional resources at your fingertips.

For more information about Vault, please click here.

Simmons Celebrates Commencement 2007

John Prendergast, one of the world's leading voices in bringing attention to genocide in Darfur and other warn-torn nations in Africa, exhorted graduates during the 102nd Simmons College commencement ceremony in Boston May 19 to follow the plea of the late Martin Luther King in 1968 and "don't sleep through the revolution."

For more information about Commencement, please click here.

Nominations Sought for New Marketing VP

Simmons College is currently searching for a new vice president of marketing and would like to enlist the help of its alumnae/i. Reporting directly to the president, the vice president for marketing will be responsible for leading and coordinating direct and brand-related marketing efforts to raise awareness of Simmons, while building a strong, differentiated brand identity for the College and its individual schools and programs.

To read the full story, please click here.

To read the full job description, please click here.

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* Professor Takes Tour of Construction Site
* GSLIS Students Honored at Commencement
* GSLIS Goes “Techie” With Podcasts
* GSLIS Honors Outstanding Alumnae/i
* GSLIS Graduates Start Online Community

Professor Takes Tour of Construction Site

There's a world of adventure taking place right outside the windows of GSLIS's One Palace Road offices. On April 30th, GSLIS Professor Candy Schwartz went underground to get an inside – and exclusive – look at the newest academic building on campus.

To read the full article, click here.

GSLIS Students Honored at Commencement

During the 2007 GSLIS Commencement May 19 at the Bayside Exposition Center in Boston, several students were honored.

To read the full article, click here.

GSLIS Goes “Techie” With Podcasts

This spring, the GSLIS Technology Group launched a new podcasting service called GSLIScast. Located at http://gslis.simmons.edu/podcasts, you can find podcasts of recent events on the Boston campus.

To read the full article, click here.

GSLIS Honors Outstanding Alumnae/i

President Susan C. Scrimshaw with GSLIS Dean and Professor Michèle V. Cloonan, and GSLIS 2007 Alumni Achievement Award recipients Nguyen Thi Bac ’95LS and Molly Raphael ’69LS.	GSLIS 2007 Alumni Achievement Award recipients Nguyen Thi Bac ’95LS (left) and Molly Raphael ’69LS (right) are pictured with GSLIS Dean and Professor Michèle V. Cloonan

This year’s 2007 Alumni and Professional Development Day combined academic symposia and awards ceremonies for four of the College’s graduate schools including the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS).

GSLIS award winners included, Nguyen Thi Bac ’95LS, GSLIS Alumni Achievement Award and Molly Raphael ’69LS, GSLIS Alumni Achievement Award.

To read more about the GSLIS award winners, please click here.

To read about all the events that happened during Alumni Day, please click here.

GSLIS Graduates Start Online Community

Rebecca Metzger ’06LS felt isolated when she started her job as reference and instruction librarian at Lafayette College in Easton, Penn., after graduation.

“I missed the excitement that I had felt at Simmons about what it means to enter this profession and the future possibilities of libraries,” said Metzger. “I was looking for a way to stay connected with other new librarians and to keep the exchange of ideas flowing.”

As a result, Metzger got in touch with classmates Mimi Kolosseus ’06LS and Michele Mizejewski ’06LS. In late 2006, the three created a private online community.

To read the full article, click here.

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* SHS Honors Outstanding Alumnae/i
* SHS Students Present Research
* New Chair of Physical Therapy for SHS
* Obesity-Related Research at Simmons

SHS Honors Outstanding Alumnae/i

Janet Sweeney Rico, Linda Roemer Award for Distinguished Service winner; Sarah Volkman, Scholarly Excellence Award winner; Dean of SHS Gerry Koocher; Sari Edelstein, Outstanding Teaching Award winner; and Nancy Clark ’73HS Distinguished Alumna Award winner pose together at the SHS Alumni Day reception at the Marriott Copley Plaza.

This year’s 2007 Alumni and Professional Development Day combined academic symposia and awards ceremonies for four of the College’s graduate schools including the School for Health Studies (SHS).

School for Health Studies award recipients include, Nancy Clark ’73HS, Distinguished Alumna Award, Sarah Volkman, Scholarly Excellence Award, Sari Edelstein, Outstanding Teaching Award, and Janet Sweeney Rico, Linda Roemer Award for Distinguished Service.

* For the full story, click here.

* For more stories on Alumni Day, please click here.

SHS Students Present Research

SHS students Stacey Schuller, Brooke Bouvier, Jessica Banco, Kelly Breen, Rachel Kwapniewski, and Cara Feinzeig. Sarah Kozacka is missing from photo.
Photo by Justin Knight.

During Inauguration Weekend, several SHS students presented their research projects during a special Student Showcase.

* For the full story, please click here.

New Chair of Physical Therapy for SHS

Dr. Z. Annette Iglarsh

The School for Health Studies recently named Dr. Z. Annette Iglarsh as the new Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy; Iglarsh begins her tenure effective July 1. Iglarsh comes to Simmons from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, where she directs the post-professional DPT program and previously served as Chair of the Physical Therapy Department.

* For the full story, please click here.

Obesity-Related Research at Simmons

The spring 2007 School for Health Studies edition of the Simmons magazine features an article about the rising rate of obesity in the U.S. Many SHS faculty members are involved with obesity research that looks at new and previously unexplored factors. Recent examples include:

Assistant Professor of Nutrition Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras recently was awarded a $34,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in support of "A Longitudinal Study of Food Insecurity/Insufficiency on Obesity in Preschool Children."

Associate Professor of Nutrition Teresa Fung recently presented to the Obesity Society during its October annual meeting.

Assistant Professor of Nutrition Sari Edelstein currently is researching obesity bias among health professionals who care for obese patients.

Shelley Goodgold, professor of physical therapy, developed a research project to promote physically active lifestyles for school-age Navajo children.

* For the full story, please click here.

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* Social Work Professors Travel to Israel
* SSW Students Ramp Up Technology Expertise with ePortfolios
* SSW Professor Receives Grant for Suicide Prevention
* School of Social Work Honors Outstanding Alumnae/i
* SSW Experts Speak on the Importance of Leadership Training

Social Work Professors Travel to Israel

This January, School of Social Work professors Kathy Millstein and Lynn Sanford traveled to Israel to conduct training for social workers in the city of Haifa.

SSW adjunct faculty member Phil Decter ’96SW, Tufts University Professor Donald Wertlieb, Lynn Sanford, and Kathy Millstein outside Bet Maya, a family center for at-risk families in Israel.

The four-day trip was sponsored by the Boston Haifa Connection, an initiative of Boston’s Combined Jewish Philanthropies, which works with the city of Haifa to build connections between the two communities through professional exchanges and collaborating on Haifa’s social and economic needs.

* For the full story, click here.

SSW Students Ramp Up Technology Expertise with ePortfolios

The School of Social Work (SSW) recently received a grant from Simmons’s Pottruck Technology Resource Center that has helped graduate students develop and create e-portfolios.

According to Carol Bonner ’74SW, SSW associate dean, the goal of the program is to provide students with an opportunity to reflect on and integrate their clinical and leadership learning while at Simmons. In addition, the program has enabled students to create portfolios that demonstrate their abilities and skills through showcasing their work in a comprehensive and professional manner.

Through the program, which began in September, students have been able to assess their own progress relative to course objectives and improve their performance. “E-portfolios are an ideal tool to help social work students gain a competitive edge in the job market,” said Bonner.

* For the full story, click here.

SSW Professor Receives Grant for Suicide Prevention

School of Social Work (SSW) Professor Ruth Dean recently received a six-month planning grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to develop a program for suicide prevention education at the SSW.

The grant is part of a national effort to call attention to suicide, which is the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds. The education program will focus on the psychological assessment and treatment of persons at high risk for suicide, with a particular focus on youth and forms of violence and self-harm that are less often recognized as suicidal. These would include self-destructive and reckless driving, substance abuse, engaging in violence often gang-related, and a relatively new phenomenon called “death by cop,” in which adolescents deliberately escalate the use of force by police.

* For the full story, click here.

School of Social Work Honors Outstanding Alumnae/i

SSW Dean Stefan Krug ’80SW, ’94DSW poses with Carol Bonner ’74SW, associate dean, professor, and winner of the Anne Ogilby Award for Creative Social Work, and Alan Levy ’78SW, winner of the Distinguished Career Award	Recent Graduate Award winner Kate Elliot ’02SW joined Kenna Liatsos ’03SW, and School of Social Work Dean Stefan Krug ’80SW, ’94DSW at 2007 SSW Alumni Day.

This year’s 2007 Alumni and Professional Development Day combined academic symposia and awards ceremonies for four of the College’s graduate schools including the School of Social Work (SSW).

Award recipients included: Dr. Alan Levy ’78SW , SSW Distinguished Career Award, Elizabeth Wharff ’97DSW, SSW Excellence in Supervision Award, Shelley Cohen Konrad ’81SW, ’03DSW, SSW Harriet Bartlett Award for Social Work in Health Settings, Jeanne Bertrand Finch ’72SW, SSW Special Recognition Award, Elizabeth Buckley ’96SW, SSW Minnie Kelley Award for Child Welfare, Philip Decter ’96SW, SSW Minnie Kelley Award for Child Welfare, Kate Elliott ’02SW, SSW Recent Graduate Award, and Carol Bonner ’74SW, SSW Anne Ogilby Award for Creative Social Work Practice.

* For the full story, click here.

SSW Experts Speak on the Importance of Leadership Training

Faculty and alumni from the School of Social Work (SSW) have their own unique ideas on how leadership is perceived within their profession. Here are excerpts from interviews with Sherdena Cofield, director of the Urban Leadership Program; Gary Bailey, assistant professor; Johnnie Hamilton-Mason '78SW, professor and director of the doctoral program; Bonni DiMatteo 79SW', president of Atlantic Consultants; and Elizabeth Sainz '01SW, school social worker/family and student support team director at Boston Renaissance Charter School.

To read the full story about the school's philosophy of leadership, please see the spring 2007 SSW edition of the Simmons magazine.

* For the full story, click here.

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* SOM Professor Helps Guide Global Examination of Women Leaders
* Leadership Conference Spotlights the “Ways Women Lead”
* SOM Faculty Teach in India
* Read the most current issue of SOM e-News

SOM Professor Helps Guide Global Examination of Women Leaders

School of Management faculty member Patricia Deyton recently took part in an international meeting to launch the 2008 Colloquium on Women's Leadership and Empowerment. The colloquium will highlight the need for women in political leadership roles.

The meeting, which took place in Monrovia, Liberia in January, was held on the first anniversary of the inauguration of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first democratically elected woman president of an African country.

For the full story, click here.

Leadership Conference Spotlights the “Ways Women Lead”

More that 2,000 guests – including President Susan C. Scrimshaw – attended the 28th annual School of Management (SOM) Leadership Conference. Entitled “Ways Women Lead,” the sold-out event was held on May 5 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.

President Susan C. Scrimshaw poses with keynote speaker Yue-Sai Kan.

* For the full story, click here.

SOM Faculty Teach in India

This winter School of Management Professors Deborah Kolb and Stacy Blake-Beard traveled to southern India for three weeks to co-teach an MBA course on Gender and Leadership. Taught at the Indian School of Business (ISB), India’s most prestigious private business school, the class was comprised of 23 male and female MBA students, including several female exchange students from top-tier U.S. business schools.

SOM Professor Stacy Blake-Beard (second from right) at the Anveshi Center for Women’s Research Studies

* For the full story, click here.

Read the latest issue of SOM e-News

To read the most recent issue of the SOM E-News, please click here.

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* First Alumni and Professional Development Day for CAS Grad
* Conference Highlights Teacher Shortage
* New Online Course for MCM Program

First Alumni and Professional Development Day for CAS Grad

The College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Studies hosted its first ever Alumni and Professional Development Day along with the other graduate schools.

“Creating Powerful Nonprofit Organizations” and "What’s Wrong with Harry? (Potter, that is)” were two of five academic sessions offered during Simmons’s 2007 Alumni and Professional Development Day jointly hosted by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, the College of Arts and Sciences/Graduate Studies, the School for Health Studies, and the School of Social Work. Alumni Day was held in conjunction with the inauguration of Susan C. Scrimshaw as the College’s seventh president.

* For more on CAS's first Alumni Day, please click on the headlines below:
- Building Successful Nonprofits Requires More than “Good Cause”
- Simmons Professors take on Harry Potter

For more information about Inauguration, please click here.

Conference Highlights Teacher Shortage

With the first wave of baby boomers retiring and many new teachers leaving the profession within their first five years, the national education system is suffering from a lack of dedicated, well-trained teachers. This issue was the focus of a national spring conference sponsored by the Beginning Teacher Center of Teachers21 and Simmons College.

More than 600 educators, consultants, and administrators attended the March conference “Growing the Future: Meeting the National Challenge to Recruit, Develop and Retain New Teachers,” which was held at the Marriott Long Wharf hotel in Boston, March 25-27.

* For the full story, click here.

New Online Course for MCM Program

This summer, the master's in communications management program is offering its first online course, “Motivational and Persuasive Communication for the Workplace.”

Taught by Assistant Professor Edward Vieira, Jr. the elective course is designed to expose students and practitioners to applied theories of motivation and persuasion so that they can effectively design programs and frame communications in light of human psychology, human behavior, and organizational dynamics.

* For the full story, click here.

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