Women of Power & Influence Awards ~ Former Honorees

More than 20 years of honoring trailblazing women.

2009

Dr. Nereida Correa (WPI 2009) is the Medical Director of the MIC Women's Health Services and the Chief of Women's Health at Lutheran Family Health Centers. A long-time advocate of women's health, she has a thriving practice in obstetrics and gynecology that primarily serves Hispanic women in NYC. She is a current faculty member of the first Hispanic Center of Excellence in New York State at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and is one of the first Hispanic Leadership Fellows of the National Hispanic Medical Association.


Dany Levy (WPI 2009) is the Founder and Editorial Director of DailyCandy.com. The free daily e-mail and website delivers the latest in fashion, food, and fun via 2.7 million subscriptions worldwide. Since its launch in 2000, DailyCandy has become a leading lifestyle media brand, expanding from its home base in New York City to 12 other cities throughout the world, including Los Angeles and London. Levy is also a contributing editor at VanityFair and has written for The New York Times and Elle Magazine.

Patricia A. Martone (WPI 2009), a partner at Ropes & Gray, LLP, is a leading expert in intellectual property case law and co-heads Ropes & Gray's International Practice Group. She entered the legal profession in 1973, when only three percent of practicing attorneys were women. In 1983, she became the first female partner in any major patent law firm in the United States. Today, she is a member of the Litigation Counsel of America, and she is consistently honored as one of the "Best Lawyers in America."


Betty Santangelo, (WPI 2009), a partner in the Litigation Group of Schulte Roth & Zabel, LLP, is nationally recognized for her expertise in securities enforcement and corporate compliance issues. She previously served as First Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for Merrill Lynch and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. She is a 1998 recipient of the Director's Medal for Exceptional Service from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the United States Treasury Department. In 2008, she earned a Burton Award for outstanding legal writing.

Elizabeth Thompson (WPI 2009) is an American painter who has exhibited extensively in the U.S. and Europe. She has completed over 20 mural commissions including projects for the Marriott Hotels, New York University Hospital, and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. As a muralist she has painted oil tanks, ferryboats and entire buildings; one job took her to the very top of The Delaware Memorial Bridge. Her most recent show, "The Everglades," was based on her experiences as an Artist in Residence in Florida and was shown at the LeilaTaghinia-Milani Heller Gallery.

2008

Subha Barry

Sheila L. Birnbaum (WPI 2008), Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom LLP, was named by Fortune Magazine as one of the 50 most powerful women in American business and Crain's New York Business heralded her as one of the 25 most influential women in New York business. The National Law Journal named her one of the 100 most outstanding members of the legal profession, and she was recently profiled as one of three outstanding lawyers of the year. She heads Skadden's women's network, where she has established a tremendous track record of helping women advance in their careers.

Anucha Browne Sanders (WPI 2008), Senior Associate Athletic Director for Marketing, University at Buffalo, has earned many firsts in Women’s Basketball including being the first woman in NCAA history to tally six straight 30-plus-point performances. Ms. Browne Sanders worked for IBM and the NBA, where she was one of their highest-ranking women executives. In 2007, she was the successful plaintiff in the Madison Square Garden/Isiah Thomas case.  Currently, she is the University at Buffalo’s Senior Woman Administrator responsible for oversight of gender equity within athletics.

Marlene Sanders (WPI 2008) is a three-time Emmy award-winning correspondent, producer, writer and news executive. Ms. Sanders broke barriers for women throughout her career. While a correspondent at ABC News, she was the first woman to anchor a prime-time network newscast. In 1966, she was the first television newswoman to report from Vietnam and in 1976 became the first woman news vice president at a network.



Audrey Strauss (WPI 2008), Partner, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, is a pioneering lawyer who was named by The National Law Journal as one of the country’s top 50 women litigators.  Her legal career spans 30 years of public service and private practice where she has achieved groundbreaking success as an attorney in traditionally male-dominated fields.

2007

Daryl Hannah

Roberta Kaplan (WPI 2007), a litigation partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, has devoted much of her legal practice to important civil rights and public policy issues. She worked tirelessly as lead counsel arguing the 2006 landmark case challenging New York State's ban on marriage for same-sex couples. Ms. Kaplan was chosen by the National Law Journal as one of the top "40 Under 40" lawyers in the United States as well as one of the 500 leading litigators in America.


Elizabeth A. Sackler (WPI 2007) is the visionary and benefactor of the dazzling new Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum. As the first public space of its kind in the country, the Center's mission is to present feminist art and to explore its meaning and influence through a wide range of public programs. She is also a public historian, arts activist, and American Indian advocate, and holds numerous roles in the foundation and museum worlds.


Cathy Fleming (WPI 2007), fomer President of the National Association of Women Lawyers, is currently a partner at Hodgson Russ LLP, where she focuses on complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal cases. Ms. Fleming has been a lifelong spokesperson for the empowerment of women and was an early and vocal proponent of the retention and advancement of women lawyers. Since 2008, Ms. Fleming has been a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Women in the Courts. Her awards include a 2008 WILL Platinum award (NJWLA) and a Special Commendation award from the Department of Justice.  

Lesley Goldwasser (WPI 2007), one of the first female traders on Wall Street, is the Senior Managing Director at Irving Place Capital where she focuses on new business development. Prior, Ms. Goldwasser headed the Global CDO Group and was co-head of Equity Capital Markets, Debt Capital Markets, and Structured Products at Bear Stearns & Co. She is active in the UJA-Federation and is a member of the board of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.   

2006

Preeta Bansal (WPI 2006) is General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Management and Budget for the Obama Administration. Ms. Bansal was formerly a partner and head of the appellate litigation group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Appointed by the U.S. Senate, she was Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a nine-member bipartisan international human rights commission. Ms. Bansal is the former Solicitor General of New York.


Kay Booth (WPI 2006) has been a highly successful senior executive on Wall Street for over 30 years. Most recently, she was Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Global Research at J.P. Morgan where she successfully integrated and managed four businesses to profitability. Prior, Ms. Booth was a Senior Managing Director and Global Director of Equity Research at Bear Stearns & Co., Inc. She is actively involved with the Financial Women’s Association and serves on the Board of Governors at CFA Institute.


Betsy Levitt Cohn (WPI 2006) was a Vice Chair of Finance for Hillary Clinton's Senate Campaign and is a former Executive Vice President of the Women's Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee. She also serves on NARAL Pro-Choice America's national board of directors and on the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee. Ms. Cohn is very active in the arts and philanthropy. She serves on Lincoln Center Theater's Patron Committee and New Dramatists' executive board, and has served on the New York Philharmonic's executive committee. She was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve on the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities from 1999 to 2002.

LaMae Allen deJongh (WPI 2006) is a partner within Accenture's Financial Services operating group. Ms. deJongh began her career with Accenture in Chicago and later relocated to New York where she became the first African-American Woman partner in the U.S. She currently manages Accenture's portfolio of Wall Street clients which is primarily comprised of sell-side firms, market infrastructure players and hedge funds. Within Accenture, Ms. deJongh sponsors a minority mentoring program.


Carrie A. McCabe (WPI 2006) is the CEO and founder of Lasair Capital LP, a hedge fund. The former CEO of FRM Research LLC began her career at Bear Sterns where she was elected Managing Director at age 30. A pioneer in the hedge fund business, she helped spearhead a report on Women in the US Hedge Fund Industry.




Donna Orender (WPI 2006) is the President of the Women's National Basketball Association. Prior to joining the WNBA she spent more than seventeen years with the PGA tour, most recently as Senior Vice President of Strategic Development where she was responsible for development of new media, internet, advertising, and brand management. Ms. Orender graduated from Queen's College where she was an All-American basketball player. She was also an All-Star in the Women's Professional Basketball League.


Anna T. Pinedo (WPI 2006) is a partner at Morrison & Foerster, and has concentrated her practice on securities and derivatives. Ms. Pinedo is both a symbol and mentor for young lawyers, particularly women who aspire to develop and succeed as capital markets lawyers (an area that is still predominantly male). Her teaching and mentoring within her firm and industry organizations is substantial. Crain's New York Business "Forty Under 40" recognized Ms. Pinedo as a leading lawyer, and Hispanic Business magazine named her one of the "100 Most Influential Hispanics." Ms. Pinedo is the author of a treatise and numerous journals and articles; she joined NOW-NYC's Service Fund board in 2009.

2005

Amy S. Butte (WPI 2005) is the  Founder and CEO of Tile Financial, an online tool that helps engage and educate the next generation of investors. Ms. Butte was the first woman to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the New York Stock Exchange and served most recently as CFO for MF Global.  Prior to joining the exchange, Ms. Butte was Chief Strategist and CFO with Credit Suisse First Boston. She is a board member of Accion International and the National Organization of Investment Professionals (NOIP), as well as a selected participant in the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader program.

Rita Henley Jensen (WPI 2005) is Founder and Editor in Chief of Women's eNews, an independent daily news service covering issues of concern to women, which won seven awards last year. In 2004, the NY Daily News named Ms. Jensen one of the 100 most influential women in New York. Ms. Jensen was previously a columnist for the NY Times Syndicate. She is also a survivor of domestic violence and a former welfare mother who earned degrees from Ohio State University and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.


Suri Kasirer (WPI 2005), former Special Assistant to Governor Mario Cuomo, found her way to government through activism. In 1990, she founded the Council for the Rescue of Syrian Jews. Today she owns Kasirer Consulting, a government relations and public affairs firm. Navigating New York is one of the talents Kasirer brings to her position as its top-grossing lobbyist, a title she captured in 2005, but she is also driven by the charitable work of her nonprofit clients. Ms. Kasirer is a member of the Women's Leadership Forum, the Ansonia Democratic Club and the National Jewish Democratic Council.

Rachel Maddow (WPI 2005) hosts the critically acclaimed “Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC.  Launched in 2005, the primetime hit is a fast-paced, well-informed, provocative take on the headlines and was named one of the top shows of the decade by The Washington Post in 2009. Ms. Maddow was the first openly gay American to win a Rhodes Scholarship, and the first openly gay journalist to anchor a major U.S. news program. She is a founding member of several HIV/AIDS activist groups.


Michele Medaglia (WPI 2005) became president of ACC Construction Corporation in 1995 determined to turn the firm into one of the most unique construction firms in New York. Today, ACC is one of the leading Certified Woman-Owned general contracting and construction management firms in the greater New York metro area. During Michele's tenure, annual revenues have increased tenfold, and the firm has expanded to a full-service company with broad expertise in areas ranging from interior fit-outs to core and shell construction. Most recently, Michele was honored with the 2008 Good Scout Awards presented by the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America.

Anne C. Vladeck (WPI 2005) is a partner at Vladeck, Waldman, Elias & Engelhard P.C. where she focuses her practice on employment matters including discrimination, sexual harassment, defamation, union-side labor law, and litigation. In 2007, she and her partners took on and won the high profile case of Anucha Browne Sanders, who sued Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden for sexual harassment. Ms. Vladeck is an adjunct professor at both Columbia University Law School and Fordham Law School.

2004

Katha Pollitt (WPI 2004), the acclaimed and prolific feminist essayist, is best-known for her column "Subject to Debate" in The Nation magazine, but has also published in The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, Ms. magazine and The New York Times. While Pollitt's essays cover a breadth of topics including abortion, the media, U.S. foreign policy, poverty and human rights, much of her pithy writing is in defense of contemporary feminism against perceived misimpressions by critics from all over the political spectrum. Her most recent of numerous publications is The Mind-Body Problem: And Other Poems.

Meredith Wagner (WPI 2004) is the Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Corporate Communications for Lifetime Entertainment Services, including Lifetime Television. Ms. Wagner is responsible for "Our Lifetime Commitment" - a series of public awareness and advocacy campaigns focused on eradicating breast cancer, and promoting access to quality child care. She serves on the boards of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Women's Leadership Board and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Lizz Winstead (WPI 2004), critically acclaimed political writer and comedienne, was co-creator and head writer of The Daily Show and co-creator and co-host of Air America Radio's Unfiltered. Her comedic talents have been recognized in Entertainment Weekly's 100 most Creative People issue, and she was nominated Best Female Club Performer by The American Comedy Awards. Since May 2005 she has been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post. In July 2007, she began producing and hosting Shoot the Messenger, a satirical wrap-up of the week's news. In addition she has been featured in the film, "American Cannibal."

2003

Martha Burk, Ph.D. (WPI 2003) is a political psychologist and women's equity expert who is co-founder and president of the Center for Advancement of Public Policy, a research and policy analysis organization in Washington, D.C. Dr. Burk's book, Cult of Power: Sex Discrimination in Corporate America and What Can Be Done About It, unmasks how corporate America conspires to keep women down, and offers solid solutions. Burk currently runs the Corporate Accountability Project for the National Council of Women's Organizations. She is a syndicated columnist, and serves as Money Editor for Ms. Magazine.

Elizabeth Coleman (WPI 2003) is president and founder of Professional Stress Management Solutions, Ltd., where she and her colleagues work with professionals to help them manage stress and improve their work performance; and of the Beatrice R. and Joseph A. Coleman Foundation for environmental and social justice. She is an attorney with over thirty years' experience in litigation, and with a deep background in non-profit and corporate management.

Elizabeth Holtzman (WPI 2003) became the youngest woman elected to the House of Representatives in 1973 where she served for eight years. She was the only woman in NYC ever elected as either Comptroller or DA. Among myriad accomplishments, she won national attention for her role on the House Judiciary Committee during Watergate, chaired the Immigration Subcommittee, co-authored the first refugee law, pioneered new strategies for prosecuting rape, and led the effort to end discriminatory removal of blacks from juries. She is co-author of the Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women.

Nell Merlino (WPI 2003) is founder, President and CEO of Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence, the nation's leading not-for-profit provider of online business education and resources for women to grow their micro-businesses into million dollar enterprises. Merlino is the creative force behind Take Our Daughters to Work Day. Prior to founding Count Me In, Merlino worked in two state governments and was an advanced woman in presidential politics, a union organizer, and a Fulbright Scholar.

Rhonda Joy McLean, Esq. (WPI 2003) is Associate General Counsel of Time Inc. and former Assistant Regional Director of the Northeast Region of the Federal Trade Commission.  A graduate of Yale Law School, she served as chair of its alumni association and currently serves on its fund board of directors.  March 2010 marked the release of the book The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women, which Ms. McLean co-authored. Ms. McLean is a classically trained pianist and mezzo-soprano. 

Donna Chaiet, Esq. (WPI 2002) is the Founder and President of Prepare, Inc. and a partner of IMPACT Personal Safety, Inc. which offers nationally recognized self defense programs. Trained in the martial arts, Chaiet conducts safety/communication seminars for Fortune 500 companies throughout the United States. She is the author of the award-winning book series The Get Prepared Library of Violence Prevention for Young Women and The Safe Zone: A Kid's Guide to Personal Safety. Having begun her career as an attorney in New York City, she has, over the years, volunteered her time with Crime Victims Counseling and done pro bono legal  work for abused and battered women.

Dorchen A. Leidholdt (WPI 2002) is the Director of the Center for Battered Women's Legal Services at Sanctuary for Families and the Co-Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. She teaches Domestic Violence and the Law at Columbia University School of Law. Ms. Leidholdt was awarded the UN Capitol Association Human Rights Award in 1994, the City of New York Award for "outstanding leadership in breaking the cycle of domestic violence" in 1999, and the Legal Aid Society's Pro Bono Award in 2005. In 2008, she was also honored by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence as an "agent for change" whose leadership made a difference for survivors of domestic violence.

Laraine S. Rothenberg (WPI 2002) has been a partner at Fried Frank's New York Office since 1994. She is the chair of the employee benefits and plans, executive compensation and exempt organizations department and also an international tax partner for the firm. Ms. Rothenberg is on the Board of Directors of The Wallace Foundation, the Pig Iron Theatre Company, and the Irvington Institute of Immunological Research, and is a trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission.

Allison Schieffelin (WPI 2002) is known as the champion of women's rights on Wall Street. A hard-working and prominent figure at Morgan Stanley, Ms. Schieffelin eventually began to feel that she was trapped under a glass ceiling. By informally expressing this frustration in 2000, she became the highest-ranking woman on Wall Street to challenge publicly the industry's pay and promotion practices. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission agreed with her accusations, and she spent the next years in court fighting to shed light on the pattern and practice of discrimination against female employees. She is currently Chairman and CEO of her the lighting design firm, Elliptar.

2001

Madeline Lee Bryer (WPI 2001), a former psychiatric social worker, is an attorney for VictimsRights.net where she works primarily for victims of rape, sexual assault, and physical and medical injuries. Ms. Bryer has been in the forefront of fighting for the rights of crime victims for over 30 years. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Maryland with an MSW from Columbia School of Social Work, Ms. Breyer graduated from Brooklyn Law School with honors. After working as an associate in top plaintiff and defense firms, she started her own practice in 1987.

Nicole Miller (WPI 2001) has been a principal of the American designer elite for over twenty years. With degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design and the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, Ms. Miller opened her first boutique in 1986 catalyzing a trend for independent designers wanting creative freedom from department stores. Ten years later, Miller blazed the trail for another new trend by putting actresses instead of models on the runway. She strongly endorses charitable giving and was recently selected as a celebrity cabinet member by The American Red Cross.

Amy Scherber (WPI 2001) is the owner of Amy’s Bread, a nationally recognized bakery in NYC that specializes in hand-made, traditional breads. It will celebrate its 16th anniversary this summer. After training briefly in France, she baked at Mondrian Restaurant before opening her first location in 1992. The bakery has been recognized in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Time Out, Gourmet, Food & Wine, the Wine Spectator, Bon Appetit, and other publications as one of the top bread bakeries in the United States. Amy co-authored  Amy’s Bread  and a dessert cookbook, The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread.

Elizabeth Schneider (WPI 2001) is a national expert on gender and law. She is the author of the prize-winning book Battered Women and Feminist Lawmaking (2000) and co-author of the casebook Battered Women and the Law (2001). Chair of the Brooklyn Law School’s Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship Program, Ms. Schneider also serves on the advisory boards of the Women's Rights Law Reporter, Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, and Violence and Victims.  She is a member of the AALS's Executive Committee and on the Board of Governors of the Society of American Law Teachers, and was formerly a Visiting Professor at Columbia and Harvard Law Schools.

2000

Candace Krugman Beinecke (WPI 2000) has been Chair of Hughes Hubbard & Reed since 1999. Ms. Beinecke serves as Chair of Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder Advisors First Eagle Funds, Inc.; Director, ALSTOM; Trustee, Vornado Realty Trust; Director, Rockefeller Financial Services, Inc. and Rockefeller Co., Inc.; Trustee, The Wallace Foundation; Director, Vice Chair and Member of the Executive Committee at The Partnership for NYC; and as a Member of the Board of Advisors of Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law. In 2007, Ms. Beinecke was named one of the "100 Most Influential Women in Business" by Crain's New York Business and was selected by The National Law Journal as one of the 50 most influential women lawyers in America.

Janet Tiebout Hanson (WPI 2000) is President and CEO of Milestone Capital Management, the only woman-owned investment advisor specializing in the management of institutional money market funds in the U.S. Following her graduation from Wheaton College and Columbia University Graduate School of Business she worked her way through up to Vice President of Marketing at Goldman Sachs . She culminated her experience there by creating 85 Broads, a network of Goldman Sachs female professionals around the world. Ms. Hanson recently launched a new website for plan sponsors seeking qualified women-owned investment managers.

Carolyn A. Kubitschek (WPI 2000) is a partner at Lansner & Kubitschek, a private law firm working in the public interest. A foster care and domestic violence expert, Ms. Kubitschek is also an Adjunct Professor at the Cardozo School of Law. She serves on advisory committees for The HOPE Program and The Family Defense Center, is Vice-President of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, and does pro-bono work with National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives.

Cheryl Mills (WPI 2000) is Counselor and Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Prior to her role as Senior Advisor and Counsel to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 Presidential Campaign, Ms. Mills was Senior Vice President for New York University. From 1999-2001, Ms. Mills served as Senior Vice President for Corporate Policy and Public Programming at Oxygen Media. Ms. Mills worked as Deputy Counsel to the White House, where she gained national prominence for her defense of President Clinton during the 1999 Senate impeachment trial. Ms. Mills is also the co-founder of DC Works, a non-profit organization devoted to the academic enrichment and interpersonal development of underprivileged senior high school students of color.

Laura Ross (WPI 2000) is the Senior Advisor to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Ms. Ross was formerly NY Chair of the Women’s Leadership Forum of the DNC. After graduating Barnard College, Ms. Ross worked at the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and for then Congressman Donald W. Riegle, Jr. She earned a JD with Honors from GWU Law School and later became Chief of Staff to Attorney General Robert Abrams for 8 years. She was a Deputy Campaign Manager and Finance Chair for Charles Schumer’s successful Senate race and a Finance Chair for the Senate campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

1999

Catherine M. Abate (WPI 1999) began her professional life as an attorney at the Legal Aid Society in NYC. In 1986, Governor Cuomo appointed Ms. Abate Executive Deputy Commissioner of the NYS Division of Human Rights and in 1988, to the position of Chair of the NYS Crime Victims Board. During the Dinkins administration, she served as Commissioner of both the New York City Departments of Correction and Probation. Ms. Abate was elected as a New York State Senator in Manhattan from 1994-1998. Since June 1999, Abate has served as the President and CEO of Community Healthcare Network (CHN).

Sharon Emek (WPI 1999), is Partner & Managing Director of CBS Coverage Group, Inc., a regional full service insurance agency. She is the former President and CEO of Metro Partners Inc. and former President of The Emek Group, a company she founded in 1988 which grew to be one of the largest women-owned insurance agencies in the country. As an authority on insurance issues, Emek has testified before the New York State Assembly Insurance Committee, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee Subcommittees and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.currently serves as a board member for the Institute for Student Achievement, and the Women’s Builders Council.

Marcia Ann Gillespie (WPI 1999) is a trailblazer in the magazine industry, a leader in the women's movement, and a champion of gender and racial justice. She has been a driving force behind two of this nation's most important women's magazines, as the editor in chief of Essence from 1971-1980 and most recently as the editor in chief of Ms. Magazine from 1993-2001. Presently, Ms. Gillespie serves on the Board of Advocates of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and on the Board of Directors for the New Federal Theater in New York City.

Annette Gordon-Reed (WPI 1999), a professor of law and history at Harvard and the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, is recognized as one of the country’s most distinguished presidential scholars. In 1997 she earned a place in history with her first book, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy. In 2001 she coauthored Vernon Can Read!: A Memoir with long-time civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. She was awarded a Pulitzer Price for her book, The Hemingses of Monticello, which delves into the relationships of a slave family. In February of 2010, President Obama honored her with the National Humanities Medal.

Sara L. Mandelbaum (WPI 1999) is a High Honors graduate of Brandeis and Rutgers Law School. She has been a Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU's Women's Rights Project and an Adjunct Professor at New York Law School. Ms. Mandelbaum has received numerous awards for her public interest work including a "Great Women of the 20th Century" Award for distinction as an educator and women's rights advocate, and she was one of Jane Magazine's "Ten Gutsiest Women of the Year". Currently, she is a commercial and sex discrimination litigator at Scarola Ellis LLP.

Marcia Sells (WPI 1999) is Assistant Vice President, Program Development & Initiatives, for Columbia University, where she manages strategic planning and program development for the office of Government and Community Affairs. Complimenting her commitment to a professional life of community service, Ms. Sells has served on the boards of Community Impact, Legal Services of New York - Manhattan, YWCA of New York, National Association of Black Artists, Community Works, & Coalition for the Homeless.

 Myra Vaugh (WPI 1999)

                                                    1998

Mary Dorman (WPI 1998) is an attorney in private practice in New York City focusing on employment discrimination, civil rights litigation, and First Amendment advocacy. In 1995, Ms. Dorman successfully represented the plaintiff in Claxton vs. United Nations, a precedent-setting sexual harassment case against the United Nations resulting in a finding of liability, a significant damage award, and the establishment of standards to ensure a harassment free work environment for United Nations employees. She is a board member and former president of Feminists for Free Expression.

Merle Hoffman (WPI 1998) is the founder, president, and CEO of CHOICES Women's Medical Center - one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive women's medical facilities. An indefatigable and vigorous political organizer, Ms. Hoffman has been instrumental in guaranteeing abortion rights and encouraging the silent majority of pro-choice Americans to speak out. She was a co-founder of the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and founder of the New York Pro-Choice Coalition.

Alexandra Lebenthal (WPI 1998) is the President and CEO of Lebenthal & Company and its multi family office Alexandra & James. As a recognizable woman on Wall Street, Ms. Lebenthal is a frequent commentator on television and makes frequent appearances in the media. A passionate supporter of women in business, in 1999 Crain's New York Business named her one of New York's 100 most influential women.

Hillary Richard (WPI 1998) is a leading business and commercial litigator in New York City. She currently practices at Brune & Richard, LLP, a wholly women-owned law firm based in New York and San Francisco. Her practice focuses primarily on commercial litigation, securities law, regulatory and administrative proceedings and trial practice. Ms. Richard has been recognized as one of Manhattan's top business litigators by Superlawyers, and she regularly teaches trial techniques at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law'. She has lectured widely on issues pertaining to civil and criminal law and has provided legal commentary on television on a variety of legal issues.

Dr. M. Vicki Wacksman (WPI 1998), who launched her management consulting firm Wacksman Associates in 1985, is a founder of the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Suffolk County Women Business Enterprise Coalition and Black Women Enterprises. A vanguard of social justice, Wacksman was awarded the 2000 WBE Excellence Award of the NYS Association of Black & Puerto Rican Legislators and has more than 100 awards, proclamations and legislative citations to her credit.

Ruth Whitney (WPI 1998) was the editor in chief of Glamour magazine for thirty-one years, and influenced several generations of women during three important decades in American feminism. Ms. Whitney passed away in June, 1999, leaving behind her mission to make feminism accessible, not intimidating, to American women. Conde Nast established two scholarships in Ms. Whitney's name at the Newhouse School of Journalism at Syracuse University.

1997

Sylvia A. Law (WPI 1997) is the Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law, Medicine and Psychiatry and the Co-Director of the Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Program at NYU School of Law. Law is a leading scholar in health law, women's rights, poverty, and constitutional law. In 1984, she became the first lawyer in the US selected as a MacArthur Prize Fellow. From 1988-1990 she served as the president of the Society of American Law Teachers and was the recipient of their Law Teacher of the Year award in 2001. In 2004, Law was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Janet Benshoof (WPI 1997) is an internationally recognized human rights lawyer who has established landmark legal precedents on women's reproductive and equality rights. Ms. Benshoof is the founder and president of the Global Justice Center in New York City. Previously, she served for 15 years as Director of the American Civil Liberties Reproductive Freedom Project, and she also founded and is president emeritus of the Center for Reproductive Rights - the first international human rights organization specializing in reproductive choice and equality.

Donna Lieberman (WPI 1997) has been executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union since December 2001, helping the organization to significantly expand the scope and depth of its work. She has also served as the associate director (1988 - 1993), and she founded and directed the NYCLU's Reproductive Rights Project from 1990-2000.

Elizabeth A. Mason (WPI 1997) volunteers her time as an attorney for The Service Fund of NOW-NYC’s monthly Employment Discrimination Legal clinics. She also has a private legal practice.  Ms. Mason worked on behalf of the rape victim in the Saks Fifth Avenue case, and her efforts resulted in settlement of the suit and supported legislation to protect victims of workplace violence.

Valorie K. Vojdik (WPI 1997), a graduate of Brown University and NYU School of Law, joined the West Virginia University faculty in 2004 as both a law professor and the Deputy Director of its Clinical Law Program. Prior to that, she taught at Western New England College School of Law and NYU School of Law. Before joining the academy, Ms. Vojdik was a litigation associate at Shearman & Sterling and was lead counsel to Shannon Faulkner in her lawsuit against The Citadel, triumphantly ending its 154 year males-only admission policy.

Mary Jo White (WPI 1997) left her post as the first US Attorney for the Southern District of New York in January 2002, and was acclaimed for her nearly nine years as leader of what is widely recognized as the premier US Attorney's office in the nation. She is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International College of Trial Lawyers. Ms. White served as a Director of The NASDAQ Stock Exchange, and on its Executive, Audit and Policy Committees (2002 to February 2006), and she is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is currently a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton in NYC.

Patricia J. Williams (WPI 1997) is the James L. Dohr Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. She was a fellow in the School of Criticism and Theory at Dartmouth College, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School and in its Department of Women's Studies, and a consumer advocate in the office of the City Attorney of Los Angeles. Ms. Williams has published numerous books on law and race, and writes a monthly column for The Nation titled "Diary of a Mad Law Professor."

Harriet Newman Cohen (WPI 1996) founded the family law firm Cohen Hennessey Bienstock & Rabin P.C. in 1994 where she continues to work tirelessly to champion the rights of women for equitable distribution, fair custody, and aggressive child support. Ms. Cohen is a former president of the New York Women's Bar Association, as well as co-chair of the Coalition of Women's Legal Issues. She shared her legal expertise in her book, The Divorce Book for Men and Women, and has lectured extensively on matrimonial law and family law negotiations.

Janice Goodman (WPI 1996) has specialized in employee rights issues for over 30 years. She has successfully litigated many important Title VII class actions on behalf of women and racial minorities. Ms. Goodman is the General Editor of a three volume practitioners guide on employment litigation "Employee Rights Litigation: Pleading and Practice" (Matthew Bender, 1991). In 2006, New York Magazine cited her as among 50 female super lawyers in New York.

Adria S. Hillman, Esq. (WPI 1996) was a partner for twenty-two years at Green and Hillman, a law firm specializing in entertainment law, employment law, civil rights, estates and trusts, and matrimonial and family law. She was a founder and co-chair of the New York State Coalition on Women's Legal Issues where she assisted in drafting laws regarding child support, divorce reform, and domestic violence. Ms. Hillman was the editor of Women and the Law, was on the board of the NY Women's Foundation and the Institute for Child, Adolescent and Family Studies, and was a member of the NYC Task Force on Family Violence. Currently she is in private practice.

Patricia M. Hynes (WPI 1996) is Senior Counsel at the New York office of the International law firm Allen & Overy LLP. In May 2008, Ms. Hynes became President of the New York City Bar Association. In 2003, Ms. Hynes became Chair of the Board of Directors for The Legal Aid Society, where she oversaw a crucial financial and organizational restructuring that saved the organization from bankruptcy. Ms. Hynes served for 15 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York where she rose to become Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney.
 

Barbara T. Rochman (WPI 1996) serves on the boards of the NOW-NYC PAC and the Women's City Club of NY. She is a former president and chair of NOW-NYC and former legislative VP of NOW-NYS. She has served as VP for public policy at the Women's City Club. At the NY County Lawyers' Association she chaired the Women's Rights Committee and co-chaired a Task Force on Domestic Violence. She served on the board of the National Center on Women and Family Law and chaired the Chancellor's Task Force on Sex Equity at the NYC Board of Education. She was also a commissioner on the NYS Commission on Cable Television.

1995

Kay C. Murray (WPI 1995), has devoted her life’s work to assuaging gender and race issues in the legal profession. As the former chair of the NYSBA’s Committee on Women in the Law, she, among myriad other feats, spearheaded a report that advocated for a childbirth and parenting leave policy. Following 23 years as general counsel for the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice, she was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1997, Murray received the Lawrence A. Wien Prize for Social Responsibility from her alma mater, Columbia Law School, which recently granted her the inaugural Kay Crawford Murray Award which commends those who value diversity in the legal profession.  In 2008, the New York State Bar Association created the annual Kay Crawford Murray Award honor an individual who promotes diversity in the legal profession and is committed to the advancement of female attorneys.

Judith P. Vladeck (WPI 1995) was a prominent labor lawyer and ardent advocate of women's rights in the workplace, particularly on college campuses. She passed away in January, 2007, after thirty years of prosecuting workplace discrimination. Ms. Vladeck took on potent opponents like major Wall Street investment firms, the Union Carbide Corporation and the City University of New York - and usually won, or settled for millions.

 Pamela A. Liapakis (WPI 1995) is the only female attorney in the country who has served as President of both the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (1995 - 1996) and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. Formerly, she was the senior partner of the largest plaintiff's personal injury litigation firm in the United States, Sullivan and Liapakis, P.C. and the Assistant Treasurer of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council. She is now self-employed. A passionately political woman, she has continually given generously in support of Democratic candidates.

1992

Joy Behar (WPI 1992) is an Emmy-nominated American comedienne, writer, actress and co-host of the talk show The View, on which she champions her liberal views in favor of both stem-cell research and same-sex marriage, as well as her opposition to the war in Iraq. She has appeared in films including Manhattan Murder Mystery and theatre productions including The Vagina Monologues. In 2007, she released her book "When You Need a Lift: But Don't Want to Eat Chocolate, Pay a Shrink or Drink a Bottle of Gin."

Barbara Ehrenreich (WPI 1992) earned a PhD in cell biology before she decided to pursue her activist tendencies. In the early 1970s she became actively involved with the women's health movement. Since this time Ehrenreich, a full-time writer, has published thirteen books, including the NY Times bestseller Nickel and Dimed and is a frequent contributor to the Times, Harpers, The Progressive, and Time magazine. She is the Founder and Director of United Professionals, a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization whose mission is to protect the American middle class from downsizing and outsourcing to the steady erosion of health and pension benefits.

Linda Ellerbee (WPI 1992) is an outspoken journalist, award-winning television producer, best-selling author, and breast cancer survivor. She has nearly forty years experience, having worked as a television network correspondent, anchor, writer and producer at NBC and ABC News. She's won numerous Emmy, Peabody, and Columbia DuPont Awards. Her production company, Lucky Duck Productions, began producing Nick News for Nickelodeon in 1991, with Ellerbee writing and hosting. Today, it is watched by more children than all other television news shows combined-and has earned honors traditionally associated with adult programming.

Denisse Oller (WPI 1992) is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist, newspaper columnist, former cooking show host, former news anchor at WXTV in New York City, and former host of Telemundo's popular newsmagazine Primera Hora. Her hard work and dedicated approach to informative and professional journalism has earned her a total of five Emmy's, including one from 1992 for her coverage of the Gulf War, and the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for journalism. An activist for Latinos, immigrants' and women's rights, she sits on the boards of the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families and the Puerto Rican Family Institute, as well as several other charitable and social organizations.

1991

Barbara Litrell (WPI 1991) was one of the first women publishers. She began her career in advertising with The New York Times and went on to serve as publisher for magazines including McCall's, Working Woman and Working Mother. She currently serves as the president of her own company, B. Litrell Communications Corp., an advertising, marketing, event and conference planning firm. Ms. Litrell is also president of Keep Sedona Beautiful Inc., Sedona, Arizona's premier conservation organization dedicated to preserving the wonder of Sedona.

Carol Martin (WPI 1991)

Gloria Steinem (WPI 1991) is a writer, lecturer, editor, and feminist activist, and is currently at work on Road to the Heart: America As if Everyone Mattered, a book about her more than thirty years on the road as a feminist organizer. Ms. Steinem co-founded Ms. Magazine, New York magazine, the Women's Action Alliance, the National Women's Political Caucus, has published numerous books, and travels in the U.S. and other countries as an organizer and lecturer on issues of equality.

1990

Patricia L. Francy (WPI 1990) is presently an independent director and nominating committee chairman of the Old Westbury Funds of Bessemer Trust Company and independent director and audit committee chairman of Siebert Financial Corporation. Before taking on these and other public and foundation board positions, Ms. Francy spent over thirty years as one of Columbia University's high profile senior financial officers, retiring as Treasurer & Controller in 2003. She is also the past director of "priceline.com" and Sand Hill Investors Fund II of Bessemer Trust Company.

Mildred Robbins Leet (WPI 1990) is the co-founder of Trickle Up, Inc., a New York-based international NGO and an originator of micro-enterprise capitalization dedicated to alleviating poverty. Launched in 1979 with $1,000, Trickle Up is now a leading international NGO that has assisted more than 500,000 of the world's poorest people build their own businesses, educate themselves and their children, and become contributors to their communities. Recognized worldwide as a distinguished public advocate and proponent of human rights, Ms. Robbins Leet has a long list of entrepreneurial and philanthropic accomplishments that center around women's rights, disability, and poverty and has been the recipient of numerous awards.

Carol O'Cleireacain (WPI 1990) is a Fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program. In this role, she is an economic and management consultant specializing in financial and budget operations, taxation and investments. She has more than thirty years experience in financial management in the public, non-profit and private sectors and is a recognized specialist on fiscally troubled governments.  Dr. O’Cleireacain served in the administration of New York City Mayor David Dinkins – first as Finance Commissioner and then as Budget Director – the only woman ever to hold both posts. Dr. O’Cleireacain also served as New Jersey’s deputy treasurer under Governor John Corzine.

Dolores Wharton (WPI 1990) is a former corporate director, foundation executive, and arts advocate. She recently retired as the Chairman and Chief Executive Office of The Fund for Corporate Initiatives, Inc., a non-profit organization which she founded to strengthen the role of minorities and women in the corporate world. Ms. Wharton has served on a number of public and foundation boards dedicated to the arts, including the National Council on the Arts of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Council for the Arts, and as a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art.

1989

Michaela Walsh (WPI 1989) is President and Chair of Women's Asset Management, Ltd. In 1975, Ms. Walsh helped found Women's World Banking, of which she was President from 1980-1990. Prior to WWB, Ms. Walsh was the first woman partner of Boettcher & Company and the first woman manager of Merrill Lynch International to work in its New York, London and Beirut offices. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Synergos Institute and WorldWide, and is a member of the Advisory Board to the Overseas Development Council, the World Resources Institute, the Energy and Education Study Institution, and USAID.

Karen B. Alschuler (WPI 1989) is a senior principal for SMWM's national practice in planning and urban design, one of the largest women-owned design firms in the nation. For over thirty years, she has tackled some of the most interesting and urgent urban issues, building unique spaces for diverse populations. In San Francisco alone, her plans include over 15,000 new residential multi-family units. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has served as President of commercial real estate organizations in Boston, New York and San Francisco, and is an active member of the Urban Land Institute.

Adrienne Bresnan (WPI 1989) launched her woman-owned architecture and historic preservation practice in 1998. Prior to this, Ms. Bresnan established the Office of Historic Preservation to aid in establishing policy for preservation of the City's finest landmark buildings including libraries, museums, courthouses, City and Borough Halls, and other public service buildings. Following an 18-year career as the Director of Architecture and Capital Planning with the NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation, Ms. Bresnan received an award from the Lifetime Friends of Parks to honor her knowledge, dedication and professional commitment.

Judith Edelman (WPI 1989) is a Principal in The Edelman Partnership/Architects, whose work includes multi-family housing, health care facilities, rehabilitation, historic restoration, office space planning, vacation houses, and apartment renovations. The firm has received numerous design awards as well as the Public Service Award from The Settlement Housing Fund. Ms. Edelman is a founding member of the Alliance of Women in Architecture. She was the first woman elected to the Executive Committee of the American Institute of Architects and chaired the National AIA Task Force on Women in Architecture in 1974-75.

Laurie Maurer (WPI 1989) is a partner at Maurer and Maurer architects, and a Fellow with the American Institute of Architecture. She has served on the board of directors of numerous architecture organizations, including the American Institute of Architects, the New York State Association of Architects, and the National Architecture Accrediting Board. Ms. Maurer has also served on numerous professional architecture and public service panels, including most recently, the AIA Housing Committee, the National AIA Convention, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

1988

Sophia Collier (WPI 1988) is the founder of Citizen Funds, a $1.2 billion socially responsible mutual fund company which recently merged with Sentinel Funds. In addition, she is the president and a major investor in Broadwave USA Inc., an innovative video and data distribution network. In the years before her corporate success, Ms. Collier, ever-inspired and intriguing, lived on an Indian reservation, fixed boats, ran a construction business and a food co-op, published an autobiography of her early years called "Soul Life" and is the successful founder of SoHo Natural Soda.

Melba Duncan (WPI 1988) began her career with a fifteen year stint as a top-notch executive assistant. In 1985, the business-minded Duncan had an entrepreneurial epiphany. She decided to use her exhaustive knowledge of assistantship to create the New York City-based Duncan Group Inc., an executive search firm specializing exclusively in the niche of administrative-support professionals. With her instinctual knack for matching work-styles and personalities, she has singlehandedly transformed the successful executive assistant into a business ally rather than a subordinate, thereby upgrading the position and increasing its value to the executive.

Judy Lotas (WPI 1988) founded the advertising agency Lotas Minard Patton McIver (LMPM) in 1986 with her partners Joanna Patton, Sally Minard, and Karen McIver. Prior to that, Ms. Lotas was Executive Vice President and Executive Creative Director at what is now Lowe Worldwide. Ms. Lotas helped convene the first Board of Directors for the Women's Venture Fund, and she was elected to the Academy of Women Achievers of the YWCA of the City of New York.

Karen McIver (WPI 1988) is a brand consultant specializing in health & beauty. She is also a fine art photographer. Image is her thing. She has created advertising for Cover Girl, Chanel, Neutrogena, Revlon, Maybelline, Shisedo, Almay, Clairol, Vanity Fair, Avon, and more. Her creative expertise extends from fashion to pharmaceuticals, with an emphasis on strategic advertising development. Ms. McIver was a founding partner in Lotas Minard Patton McIver. She served on the Board of Governors for the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Partnership for Drug Free America, and is co-founder of the Cannes International Advertising Film Festival.

Sally Minard (WPI 1988) is presently co-chair of the Democratic National Committee Women's Leadership Forum in New York State. She also serves on the boards of the American Red Cross in Greater New York, The New School, LORAL Space and Communications, and the New Democracy Project. In 1986, Ms. Minard helped found and was partner at the marketing and advertising agency LMPM.

Joanna Patton (WPI 1988) founded the advertising agency Lotas Minard Patton McIver (LMPM) in 1986 with her partners Judy Lotas, Sally Minard, and Karen McIver. By 1995, LMPM was the largest woman-owned agency in the world. Ms. Patton and her partners accumulated many awards, including "Women of Vision" and "NYC Best Ad Agency." Ms. Patton and Ms. Lotas acquired their partners' shares in 2002, and today LPNY focuses on creative and strategy issues for select clients, with a particular expertise in women's health, beauty, image brands and public service.

Bernice Steinbaum (WPI 1988) is the founder and director of the Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, presently located in Miami, FL. The Bernice Steinbaum Gallery is the only mainstream gallery that represents 50% women, and the only mainstream gallery whose stable of artists includes 35% artists of color. Ms. Steinbaum has a Ph.D. in art education from Columbia University, and has received numerous honors and awards for art education and her work for women's rights.