Notable Graduates

Beginning with our first graduating class more than 150 years ago, Mills alumnae have been making major contributions throughout the world in every decade. These are just a sample of graduates who have made a difference in fields ranging from computer science to music to politics:

Andrea Plesnarski, MA 2001 – Award-winning musician, principal oboe, Oakland East Bay Symphony

Katherine Eltrich, BA 1999 – Worked in the Office of Management and Budget for the Clinton Administration, serves as staff member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations

Heather Blonkenfeld, BA 1999 – Editor-in-chief of Moxie online women’s publication

Yvonne Harrison Solow, MFA 1997 – Award-winning writer of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry; author of the University of California Press' best-seller, Gene Roddenberry: The Last Conversation.

Amanda Bernard, BA 1996 – NBC reporter living in London

Yesceni Guadalupe Ramirez, BA 1994 – Named “Woman of the Year” by the California State Assembly, serves as coordinator of the City of Pasadena’s Commission on the Status of Women

Lara Stemple, BA 1994 – Graduated from Harvard Law School, focused on intellectual property, refugee and asylum law, and international women’s rights. Served as legal fellow for Center for Reproductive Law and Policy (New York)

Ariel Duryea Gore, BA 1994 – Founder and publisher of Hip Mama parenting ‘zine and author of The Hip Mama Survival Guide and Mother Trip

Rebecca “Becky” Steckler, BA 1992 – Statewide coordinator of California’s Coastal Cleanup Day and the Adopt-a-Beach program, works for California Coastal Commission

Kelly Cole Zerzan, BA 1992 – Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Commerce, handling telecommunications, Internet and antitrust issues

Meredith Tromble, BA 1991 – Commentator on art for public radio, former editor-in-chief of Artweek magazine and veteran of three online art magazines

Meredith May, BA 1991 – Award-winning journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle

Laurel Colton, BA 1991 – Psychology professor, Western New England College, coordinated and participated in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the Myositis Association of America (2002)

Lisa Michaels, BA 1990 - Well received author of Grand Ambition and Split: A Counterculture Childhood, and contributing editor to The Threepenny Review

May Lee, BA 1989 – Host of “Pure Oxygen” on cable television and anchor of CNN’s “Asian Edition”

Dorianne Laux, BA 1989 – Poet, professor of creative writing at University of Oregon, recipient of Pushcart Prize for poetry, Guggenheim Fellowship, and NEA grant, and served as judge for National Book Award in poetry

Gitte Larsen, BA 1987 – A pediatric critical care specialist, she travels to Third World countries to repair cleft lips and cleft palated children

Mimi Binns, BA 1985 – Manager, Marie Stopes International clinic programs for sexual and reproductive health in Burma, Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam

Aerial Gilbert, BA 1984 – Selected as torchbearer for 2002 Winter Olympics. She lost her sight in 1988 and manages 485 volunteers at Guide Dogs for the Blind (San Rafael, CA)

Sakae Roberson Manning, BA 1983 – Vice president of international marketing, Paramount Pictures – Home Entertainment Division

Jennifer Basye Sander, BA 1981 – Best selling author, owner of Big City Books and USA Today Online columnist focusing on self employment

Renel Brooks-Moon, BA 1981 – First African American woman announcer in sports history, voice of the San Francisco Giants

Linda Wenker-Boutin, BA 1979 – Assistant vice president for Merrill Lynch and co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Investing for Women

Anna Rainville, BA 1978 – Named top kindergarten teacher in California

Tina Walls, BA 1977 – Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Miller Brewing Company

Tweet Coleman, BA 1976 – Pilot and captain of a Lear jet, FAA aviation safety inspector, surgical nurse

Judith McGee, BA 1976 – Entered Air Force as flight surgeon, first female assigned to combat squadron, highly decorated

Molissa Fenley, BA 1975 – Internationally renowned dancer/choreographer, seven-time recipient of National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Fellowship

Liz Holzman, BA 1975 – Emmy Award-winning producer/director of Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs and Women's Image Network Award-winner for The Zeta Project 

Deborah Lynn Jacobs, BA 1974 – City Librarian, Seattle, named “Public Official of the Year 2001” by Governing magazine

Bonnie Guiton Hill, BA 1974 – First African American woman to direct U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs, former vice president and CEO of Times Mirror Foundation

Barbara Lee, BA 1973 – Member, U.S. House of Representatives, serves Oakland’s Congressional District in Washington, D.C., has worked on issues such as AIDS funding, welfare reform and childcare

Cora Tellez, BA 1971 – Former CEO of HealthNet, California’s second largest health insurance company

Stephanie Lee, BA 1971 – Travels to India to work with orphans in Sriram Ashram

Chris Russell Heineman, BA 1971 – Award- winning special health correspondent, Washington Post, medical/science reporter, The Washington Star, former president, National Association of Science Writers

Jill Fabricant, BA 1971 – Former senior research assistant for American and Soviet scientists working through NASA, founder and president of Biosyne Corp. biogenetic firm

Susan Kai, BA 1971 – One of the first Asian American newscasters on television, nominated for two Emmy Awards for documentaries on Chinese American issues

Tanya Neiman, BA 1970 – Honored for building one of the most innovative legal service programs in the country, developed Legal Employment Action Program, a national model for legal services groups

MiMi Dye, BA 1970 – Internationally known viola soloist, highly successful recording artist, played with Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, toured with Barbra Streisand

Janus (Jill) Adams, MA 1970 – Award-winning journalist, author, creator of children’s books

Susan Perrine, MD, BA 1970 – Developed the treatment for sickle cell disease

Stephanie Mills, BA 1969 – Environmental activist, highly respected author of Whatever Happened to Ecology? and In Service of the Wild: Restoring and Reinhabiting Damaged Land

Elizabeth Smith Crow, BA 1968 – Editorial director, Rodale’s Women’s Health Division and executive vice president and editorial director of PRIMEDIA’s more than 150 major magazines including New York and Seventeen

Caroline Herrick, BA 1968 – Magazine editor of Persimmon: Asian Literature, Arts, and Culture

Thoraya Obaid, BA 1966 – Under-Secretary-General, executive director, United Nations Population Fund

Marilyn Schuster, BA 1965 – Professor of Women’s Studies, Smith College

Barbara Russell Chesser, MA 1965 – Author of Keeping Christmas: Stories to Warm Your Heart Throughout the Year

Alexandra Moses, BA 1964 – Founder of Color Age Software and Hardware Company, creator of color printers

Elizabeth Murray, MFA 1964 – MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient, widely acclaimed artist who incorporates everyday objects into abstract art

Patti Alter Fisher, BA 1963 – Director, Fisher Forensic Document Laboratory, Inc., a certified forensic document examiner and fraud specialist, has provided testimony in more than 160 court proceedings

Steven Reich, MA 1963 – Well known composer, Grammy Award recipient

Shirley Hooton Kelly, BA 1963 – President, College of San Mateo

Elizabeth Livingston Hogan, BA 1963 – Former managing editor, Sunset Books

Jennifer Losch Bartlett, BA 1963 – Internationally renowned artist displaying a distinctly post-modern sensibility combined with dazzling technical facility

April Glaspie, BA 1963 – Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq during the Persian Gulf War, the first woman ambassador in the Middle East

Kit Carey Sloane, BA 1962 – Fiction editor for Futures magazine, mystery novelist

Jill J. Hawkins Gaylor, BA 1962 – Researcher of nutrition, cancer, and birth defects for the National Center for Toxicological Research, recipient of numerous grants from the American Cancer Society

Marjorie “Jorie” Lueloff Friedman, BA 1962 – ABC news anchor in Chicago, former employee of the CIA

Elinor Armer, BA 1961 – Well known composer with work performed by the Women’s Philharmonic, collaborated with writer Ursula K. LeGuin on a double CD featuring music and words

Pia Lindstrom, BA 1960 – Daughter of Ingrid Bergman, starred with Anthony Quinn in “Zorba the Greek,” also a news reporter for many television stations

Lois Brandwynne, BA 1958 – Acclaimed pianist, performed with San Francisco Symphony conducted by Darius Milhaud

Loretta Shine, BA 1958 – Successful entrepreneur turned homemade desserts into major food catalog, Miss Grace’s Lemon Cakes

Harriet Isom, BA 1958 – Former ambassador to Cameroon (Central Africa) and Benin (West Africa), Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, Djakarta

Trisha Brown, BA 1958 – Internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer, founder of Trisha Brown Dance Company. First woman awarded the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in choreography

Sheila Ballantyne, BA 1958 – Author of numerous books including Imaginary Crimes, Norma Jean and the Termite Queen, recipient of the O’Henry Award (1977) and a Guggenheim Fellowship

Edith Conn, MA 1957 – English professor and activist for the disabled, developed the Adaptive Dance Program at Ventura College, received Excellence in Education Award from the California Community Colleges Board of Governors (1990)

Susan Long, BA 1956 – Highly respected artist with oil, charcoal, pastel, and gouache works collected in galleries worldwide

Sue McClelland, BA 1956 – Vice president of media for Gallo Wineries - its only female VP, named one of the Top Ten Women in Advertising (1971)

Nancy Winslow Parker, BA 1952 – Author and illustrator of more than 40 children’s books

Pat Newcomb, BA 1952 – Vice president of Motion Picture Production, MGM Studios, the last person to see Marilyn Monroe alive

Jane Rule, BA 1952 – Internationally recognized novelist, essayist, activist on behalf of gay rights, the environment and community service

Willa Klug Baum, MA 1950 – Former director, Regional Oral History Office, Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley, received University of California Citation of Excellence for pioneering work in oral history

E. Alison Kay, BA 1950 – Professor of zoology, University of Hawaii, graduated with honors as a Fulbright Scholar at Cambridge University

Emma Plank, BA 1947 – Founder of the child life academic discipline which prepares pediatric specialists to teach chronically hospitalized children

Denise McCluggage, BA 1947 – First woman to race sports cars in the U.S., was contributing/automotive editor for national magazines (Auto Week, Skiing), publishes roadrunning.com

March Fong Eu, BA 1947 – Former U.S. Ambassador to Micronesia, first woman to serve as California’s Secretary of State

Dave Brubeck, Honorary MFA 1946 – World-renowned musician, composer and jazz pianist, has written more than 200 compositions and made over 115 recordings

Susan Harnly Peterson, BA 1946 – Received the Binns Award, the highest honor from the American Ceramic Society (1998), author of Working with Clay, taught ceramics for more than 40 years

Reverend Elspeth Alley, BA 1946 – One of the first women ordained in the Canadian Anglican Church

Martha Tway Mills, BA 1945 – Worked with Japanese women to help them take advantage of new Constitutional rights (1946-47), former deputy director, League of Women Voters from whom she received a lifetime achievement award (1989)

Marcia Gambrell Hovick, BA 1945 – Artistic director, Children’s Experimental Theater since its founding more than 40 years ago, author of more than 40 plays and adaptations

Beate Sirota Gordon, BA 1943 – Wrote the section of the Japanese Constitution that guarantees full and equal rights to women (1945)

Jade Snow Wong, BA 1942 – Ceramicist and acclaimed author of Fifth Chinese Daughter  

Pete Rugolo, MA 1941 – Jazz composer, arranger, orchestra leader, won three Emmy Awards and two Grammy Awards, worked with Miles Davis, Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee, Nat “King” Cole

Moto Uwanto, BA 1939 – One of very few Japanese female diplomats, awarded the Order of the Precious Crown for distinguished service (1985)

Eleanor Hadley, BA 1938 – Instrumental in helping to re-establish Japan’s post World War II economy, author of Antitrust in Japan

Ruth Church Gupta, BA 1938 – First woman elected president of San Francisco Lawyers’ Association and first woman to head the Bar Conference of Delegates

Dixy Lee Ray, BA 1937, MA 1938 – First woman governor of Washington State (1977-81), former chair, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, recipient of 21 honorary degrees in fields spanning science, law and art

Midge McLauren Bolton, BA 1935 – Community activist and volunteer, one of 12 women named to the 12th annual Women’s Hall of Fame (San Mateo)

Margaret Wentworth Owings, BA 1934 – Nationally recognized environmentalist, artist, former commissioner of California Parks

Esther Rosenblatt Landa, BA 1933 – Nationally honored volunteer, former president, National Council of Jewish Women

Rosemary DeCamp Shidler, BA 1932 - Film and television actress, children’s book author including Here, Duke!, recipient of “Mother of Distinction” award

Charlotte Baker Montgomery, BA 1929 – Environmentalist, newspaper columnist, author of popular children’s novel, The North Trail

Mary Thomas Brooks, BA 1925 – Former director, U.S. Mint

Kathryn Grove Shipp, BA 1925 – Invented an explosive used by NASA for experiments on the moon

Elinor Remick Warren Griffin, BA 1923 – One of the first female composers to gain prominence in the first half of the 20th century

Vaughn DeLeath, BA 1919 – Popular recording artist developed “crooning” style of singing, successfully sued Kate Smith over the title “First Lady of Radio”

Hazel Roberts, BA 1911 – California’s first licensed woman optometrist

Ida Meacham Strobridge, 1876 – Celebrated author, one of the first professional female bookbinders

Emma Nevada, 1876 – Internationally renowned opera singer

Fanny Rouse Snell, 1873 - First woman lawyer in New York State