Gwen Ifill School Alumnae/i
In the Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences, we cultivate a diverse and talented generation of trailblazers who are poised to become leaders in their professions and in their communities.
Student-Alumnae/i Interviews
Alumna’s Perspective on College Life and Building Networks
Courtney Knapp received an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science with a minor in communications. Subsequently, Knapp completed the graduate program in gender and cultural studies in 2006. For the last seven years, Knapp has been at the Pratt Institute and recently started a new role as the Chair of the Pratt Institute Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment.
Editor-in-Chief Shares Insights into Her Time at Simmons
Elissa Gershowitz ’00MA received her master’s degree in children’s literature from Simmons University and is currently Editor-in-Chief of The Horn Book literary magazine. The Horn Book is a central point for reviews of books from preschool through young adult selections. The Horn Book was also founded by Bertha Mahony Miller, a Simmons alumna, Class of 1906.
Gender and Culture in the Simmons Experience
Interview edited for length and clarity. What drew you to the field of gender and cultural studies? In my undergrad, I studied linguistics and psychology. However, by the end of it, I was focusing more so on transness [the state...
Alumna Uses Communications Degrees to Navigate US Politics
Maya Valentine double majored in public relations and marketing communications, and communications on the journalism track. Valentine was active in the Simmons Student Government Association, The Simmons Voice, the Black Student Organization, and was a Resident Advisor. Valentine is the Press Secretary for US Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware.
DEI from the Lens of a Gender and Cultural Studies Scholar
Amanda Wynn ’24 is an education specialist at MIT Institute Discrimination Harassment Response Office. In this role, she educates members of the MIT community on available resources should they experience discrimination or discriminatory harassment due to protected identities such as race, gender, and religion under the institution's nondiscrimination policy.
Finding Community Through Gender Studies
Karla Alba ’23 is the Program Officer for the Providence Equity Fund at the United Way of Rhode Island, a philanthropic organization with the mission to build racial equity among communities through advocacy, financial investments, and local policy.
Art Director Alumna Reflects on Simmons Experience
Christa N. Garubo ’91, who studied graphic design at Simmons, is a senior art director at ABC News/Disney. Garubo has been with ABC News/Disney for 30-plus years and primarily works on the television program 20/20, but also ventures out into long-form media for Hulu and Freeform.
Communications Alumna’s Journey from Simmons to Scotland
Amanda Perry ’22 studied literature and minored in communications at Simmons University during the height of the COVID–19 pandemic. Perry has gone on to complete her master’s degree in English while studying abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She lives in London and is pursuing a career in publishing.
Gwen Ifill School Alums in the News
Alumna Combines Story and Techspressionist Moving Images
Karen LaFleur ’97MA, a graduate of the Simmons Master’s in Children’s Literature, is a “Techspressionist” artist and writer who incorporates moving images, text, music, and artistic renderings of nature and scientific discovery into her artwork. We spoke to LaFleur about how her studies at Simmons shaped the development of her art.
First-Gen Commuter Student Navigates Higher Education
Valeria Cardoza ’27 shares her unique experience as a first-generation student at Simmons, and a participant in the Bonner Leaders Program.
Alumna Communicates Scientific Discovery at National Park
Julia Rush ’24 is the 2025 Cathy and Jim Gero Acadia Early-Career Fellow in Science Communication for the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park. We spoke with her about her love of journalism and the outdoors, and the essential training she received at Simmons.
Alums Honor Black Women Trailblazers with On-Campus Plaques
English major Jacqueline Jones ’79 and Public Relations/Marketing Communications major Gia Elie ’24, both members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA), recently commissioned dedicatory plaques to honor three Simmons alums who trailblazed the domains of health care, civil rights, and women’s history. We spoke with them about honoring historic Black alumnae/i and relishing lifelong sisterhood through AKA.
Finish Your Undergraduate Degree at Simmons
Three Class of 2025 graduates of the Online Degree Completion Program share what makes the Simmons program special and a great option for students with full-time jobs and family responsibilities.
Congratulations to the 2025 SURPASs Scholars
Eight undergraduate scholars from disciplines across Simmons have been selected to join the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Simmons (SURPASs). SURPASs students receive the necessary funding and mentorship to execute an independent research project of their own design.
Undergraduate Receives Prize from New England Poetry Club
Houley Koundourou ’28, a double major in Writing and Political Science, recently won the 2025 Victor Howes Prize in Poetry, awarded on behalf of the New England Poetry Club. We spoke with Koundourou about poetic inspiration, her Senegalese ancestry, and the value of a women-centered education.
The Story Listener
Breanna J. McDaniel ’14MA is the author of four acclaimed picturebooks and the recipient of the 2025 Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award. On July 26, McDaniel will present a presentation with author-illustrator Vashti Harrison at the Summer Children's Literature Institute at Simmons University.
Ways to Get Involved as a Gwen Ifill School Alum
Share Your News
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The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences
The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences cultivates trailblazers and leaders. Here, you'll study the modes of expression through which we record and interpret the human experience.